Why Are Prisons Exempt From The Smoking Ban Anyway?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34395034

[Jackdaw33]

Well, they can hardly step outside for a quick fag!

[ummmm]

Because it's their temporary home.

[Buenchico]

In many prison wings over 90% of the inmates are on tranquillisers to help them cope with the stresses of prison life. The majority of them also smoke for exactly the same reason. When the ban on smoking in public enclosed places was introduced it was argued by many that preventing prisoners from smoking would lead to:
(a) greater stress levels and therefore higher suicide rates;
(b) increased violence because of the higher stress levels ; and
(c) even more problems with illicit goods being smuggled into prisons than already exist.

[Jackdaw33]

More to the point, why are royal palaces, including the Houses of Parliament, exempted?

[mikey4444]

I am far from being a fan of smoking, goodness knows, but I am uneasy about banning smoking in Prisons. There is enough unrest and pent-up anger inside as it is. Perhaps this needs to be thought about again.

[ummmm]

Chris...I certainly wouldn't want to be working in a secure environment when the ban is introduced!

[Togo]

I predict a riot.

[piggynose]

also i haven´t got a lot of time, as things are enforced from this thursday!! pity i wasn´t informed a couple of months ago.

[Jackdaw33]

In the USA prisoners are not allowed to smoke. This includes those on death row, even those whose execution is imminent. This applies to outdoors as well as indoors. That's what I call cruel.

[Togo]

Kill them with ciggies JD.

[Jackdaw33]

Before the abolition of hanging in the UK condemned prisoners were given a ration of 10 cigarettes and 2 bottles of beer per day, courtesy of the Home Office. That's compassion.

[ToraToraTora]

jackdaw: "That's what I call cruel. " - yeah because they are all in there for missionary work aren't they! PMSL!

[Togo]

Or to highlight to them what they were going to be missing JD. Subtle.

[fiction-factory]

I wonder if other prisoners and prison staff have sued or will sue for damages from passive smoking

[Jackdaw33]

I see nothing wrong with making an exception for someone who is about to be put to death. I bet quite a lot of prison officers smoke like chimneys when they are off duty. Just having spent three months in a nursing home, I was amazed at the number of staff, including nurses, kept nipping out for a smoke. I find the smell of hypocrisy far worse than the smell of tobacco.

[Togo]

Have you ever noticed that the people who are 'fondest' of telling you what is good for you, are always the ones you wouldn't take a blind bit of notice of if you had a choice.

[nailit]

They cant stop drugs getting into prison, how are they going to stop tobacco getting in? This will create a 'black market' for tobacco, making things worse for all, staff and cons alike.

[Togo]

Point nailit. By the way there is a black market in avatars developing. Don't let yourself become vulnerable to the dealers.

[Jackdaw33]

The consumption of tobacco is much more easily identified than the consumption of drugs. There would not be much point in smuggling it in because as soon as someone lit up it would be immediately detected and confiscated.