I can't remember if I was blogging back in July 2008 but I did post this outrageous photo on Facebook at the time and it stirred quite a debate - or rather a lot of agreement about the hate campaigning of the anti-smoking industry.
I asked if this sort of propaganda can ever be justified and pointed out that it is quite wrong to compare smokers with those who committed the worst terrorism act ever.
Dick Puddlecote has noticed it's back again and this time they've made a nice little video of abuse aimed at inciting yet more hatred against a minority group.
As Dick points out : "To finger-waggers the world over, 9/11 wasn't so much an unspeakable act of evil, more a handy occurrence on which to exercise their mentally disturbed fantasies."
Some events are just so harrowing they should not be undermined by advertisers in this way. What next? A video of children in Dunblane being shot at school to persuade people not to join gun clubs? How about a photo of a battered Baby P and all his horrific injuries to advertise parenting lessons?
I haven't been to see my GP since the twin towers anti-smoking campaign came out. My doctors surgery is always writing to me and inviting me to come for a smear test, a flu jab, holiday innoculations etc so when I was called in for a health check, I took up the offer.
The nurse I saw asked if I smoked. I replied with my usual : "I do not give details of any of my lifestyle habits on the grounds that I may be discriminated against. I will not say if I smoke, or drink, or eat 10 cream cakes a day or five apples and two pears. Neither will I tell you if I climb mountains or ride horses..."
She stopped me there. I explained that I was a pro-choice campaigner and told her about the above twin towers campaign and how offensive it was.
"Whatever you think about smoking, it is quite wrong to equate smokers with those who committed the worst act of terrorism ever," I said.
She said : "Well, there are many people who would disagree with you. Smokers are as bad. It's a good campaign."
This nurse, and others like her who infect the NHS with prejudice, is one reason why I don't go to my GP anymore and why I'd really rather drop dead than go to hospital if I was ill, suffering a heart attack or dying of cancer. I am not a terrorist, nor a murderer, I am a lifelong cultural smoker and I simply wish to be left alone to live my life as I please.
I really think it's time that the Government got some balls and stated clearly that it will not support such blatant hate groups.
The smoking ban of 2007 encouraged this hatred, legalised discrimination, and gave a licence to bigots like ASH to be as abusive as they like. That is the only reason I was ever against it.
I don't want to smoke near anyone who doesn't like it but I can co exist and there is room for both of us in this world. Tolerance is a virtue. It's such a shame that our Government doesn't encourage that.