Don't Hate The Smoker
In the BMJ today it's argued that smokers should be denied operations unless they quit. And recently there have been cases of people being refused jobs or are being sacked just for being smokers even though they promise not to smoke at work. This is not what Action on Smoking and Health is fighting for - we are anti-smoking, yes, but not anti-smoker and in today's climate we think that there is a very real danger that smokers are being marginalised in our society....
While it's important to accept the rights of smokers to carry on smoking, it also needs to be recognised that being a smoker is not a matter of free choice; they're gripped by an addiction fuelled by the tobacco industry and they need support to give up.