THE LAST DECADE OF GOVT BULLYING ?

I was sent this radio broadcast today by Patrick Basham, from the Democracy Institute with his predictions for the decade ahead.

Patrick reckons there will be a dramatic growth of people who are not willing to be pushed around by the state and they will resist if the pressure to abandon their pleasures such as smoking , drinking and eating "unhealthy" food does not stop.

The battle he says will be the individual against the institution.

Another guest on the show, Celia Szusterman from the University of Westminster, agrees with Patrick's view on the future but guest Said Khan from the University of Detroit, did not. He said he disagreed there was a move towards the bully state and said people saw Govt as the "nurturer."

I wonder if he drinks, smokes or is somewhat overweight and if he lives here and not in the US. If so, I fail to see how he couldn't agree with Basham.

I guess we will have to wait and see but fingers crossed. I, for one, want my life back and I want to be accepted in this country that I have lived and worked in all my life - beginning with being born in a war zone in Cyprus because my English smoking father was fighting for Britain.

You can listen to Patrick's predictions here : http://democracyinstitute.org/Media/Patrick_Basham_BBC_World_Today.mp3

FAILED SMOKING BAN BAD FOR HEALTH

Ah ha. Of course. A ban on smoking in public leads to more smoking at home, therefore more children at risk from leprosy. There lies the real reason why the Govt and the timid opposition are happy to see smoking banned at home and in cars.

However, if they bothered to look at the true scientific and social evidence, instead of being coerced by the powerful and well funded anti-smoking industry, they would see that second hand smoke is not fatal for children or anyone else.

At worst it's an irritant that can be adressed without the exclusion of a minority group from public and without the Govt getting into our homes and our private lives.

Patrick Basham, co-author of the report Are Smoking Bans Necessary? said there are viable alternatives to blanket public bans that address not only the health but also the irritant and annoyance concerns of those who don't like smoke.

"None of the reasons offered in defence of the smoking ban stands up to careful scrutiny," he said.

"The bans have not reduced smoking in the UK and they have had perverse public health consequences.

"The Govt maintains that the public smoking ban has forced record numbers of smokers to quit but such claims are not supported by the Health Survey for England, produced by the National Centre for Social Research and the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London. According to the Health Survey, not only did the smoking ban fail to reduce smoking, it's first year saw an increase in cigarette consumption among males aged 18 - 34 and an increase in smoking among poorer classes."

Basham has examined the methodolgy used to scientifically assess the dangers of second hand smoke and found that various Govt and public health reports suggest that second hand smoke does NOT pose a serious health risk to non-smokers. They do, however, make smokers feel isolated and force them to stay at home more.

"Governments should remember that they can never predict the consequences of this unprecedented governmental intervention in our lives," Basham said.

* The report is launched at The Democracy Institute, Waterways Room, One Queen Anne's Gate, Westminster, London, SW1H, on Wednesday, December 16 at 11am.