Number Of Smokers In England Drops To All-Time Low

[mikey4444]

I thought we needed some good news for a change :::

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/20/number-of-uk-smokers-falls-to-lowest-level

Remarkable change in peoples habits, although the hard core smokers are still difficult to reach. Not sure how to get the message over to them.

[Mamyalynne]

^^ Correction.

//Perhaps next time you need a crossword answer and a parse you could ask us uneducated smokers not to bother answering.//

[mikey4444]

mamy....don't be silly. I am only reporting what the Guardian article said, and I always thank you fulsomely when you help me out me out with my crosswords.

You may or not be a smoker, but its not important to me if you are, other than I don't want you to die any time soon.

[jim360]

I hate smoking and I've always hated smoking, but I discovered very recently that hating *smokers* as well, judging them, thinking poorly of them, is just a damaging attitude and one I hope to soon be rid of.

It's a choice people make, I wish they didn't, but it's still a personal choice and on a personal level you just have to accept that and live with it.

[Mamyalynne]

You regularly equate smoking with lack of intelligence - you have been known to connect it with the word 'infantile'.

In a setting where one is trying to discourage poor or dangerous behaviour it is a guaranteed way to lose your audience.

[gness]

When I'm at the hairdresser flicking through the magazines it tickles me that the majority of those advertising in Lonely Hearts are non smokers.... ;-)

[Jackdaw33]

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, fluent in six languages, a talented artist and illustrator, is a chain smoker. How's that for uneducated.

[gness]

Does anyone know if Stephen Fry smokes?......x

[fender62]

mikey, thank you.. i started back in the day when it was mmm the norm what with b/w movies and the stars all puffing away, friends doing it etc, it just seemed at the time ok, we didnt know then the dangers, in fact it was endorsed, rather silly but those were the times.
unintelligent mmm i hear.. plz

[pixie374]

It's nothing to do with intelligence or education (I know, I've been a smoker many times :-)). How many people do you think smoke because they believe it is good for them?? The lack of understanding about addiction is the part that needs more education.

[aelmpvw]

gness, stephen fry was pipeman of the year 2003

[pixie374]

There are studies that show smoking protects against dementia. They tend to keep that quiet though.

[Garaman]

I haven't smoked cigarettes for nearly forty years, but I did used to enjoy them. I don't think that more poorer people smoke because of lack of education, rather because we all need some pleasure in life and they haven't many other ways of getting it.

[-Talbot-]

I have read somewhere that studies show smoking protects against dementia. , although I have no idea where I read that.

I'm a non smoker btw.

[jim360]

I suppose it's easy to avoid degenerative mental health conditions if you die at 40 :P

(satire)

[gness]

Oh well that'll do, Ael, thank you.....quite like the idea of a pipe smoker in my little secret arbour.......x

[EDDIE51]

The last figures I saw said that around 80% of people in prison smoke against 20% who do not. That was almost the exact opposite of the situation 'outside'. Not heard how the plan to ban smoking in prisons is going anyone know? Tobacco is used as currency in jails , even non smokers will use it to 'trade up' for other things they want. If you want a haircut for example you pay for it in tobacco!

[Islay]

The last time I looked we still lived in a free country therefore if people want to smoke why shouldn't they?

[fender62]

EDDIE51, i once read during ww1 the troops asked for more baccy than food, stress under fire perhaps, as for prisons mmm probably stressful depending on age and crime your in for perhaps, nonse if thats how it's spelt might find life very very hard, specially shower time when the perpetrator becomes the victim

[RobNorth]

Smoking is a tricky subject as this string shows. Fifty or sixty years ago almost everyone did and the tiny minority that didn't, mostly women, had no say whatsoever - even the poshest establishments of any kind whether the Savoy or the Palace of Westminster, did not have any smoke free areas.
The forces encouraged it by supplying cigarettes at nominal cost and as all males did at least two years National Service not many left as non smokers.....
Bizarrely, all Doctors and Nurses seemed to smoke and unbelievably it would not be unusual to have your GP consultation over a half full ashtray and maybe clouds of smoke.
As far as I can recall, these folk were of all classes, of average intelligence and our betters smoked the most, with large packs of cigarettes around their houses and cars, while the lower orders would buy packs of five...
The relatively small amount of people using drugs then were looked down on much as smokers are now, but druggies now seem to occupy a higher plane, and the trendsetters are not at all shy about admitting to having used drugs while at the same time demonising tobacco.

[EDDIE51]

I have said several times that the die hard smokers are a lost cause, they will smoke until it kills them. The concern now must be to make smoking as unattractive as possible to stop youngsters from starting.
The new 'plain packs , minimum size' law is designed to do that and first indications are that it is working. My corner shop used to have 7 rows of shelf space for the cigarettes now it is down to 5 rows. The shopkeeper tells me that he has cut down on the number of different brands he stocks as sales of some are too low to bother with.