Young Writers Society

A UK advisory board has proposed that the sale of cigarettes should be refused to anyone who does not provide a permit to smoke. These permits would cost very little but might deter people from smoking if they are required to 'opt-in', including filling in extensive forms. More here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/feb/15/smoking.health

Cool idea I say! Smoking is a filthy habit, with absolutley zero reasons to do it.

I think it's a great idea. It will make people think twice before taking up smoking.

I'm afraid to say I disagree with both of you. Personally, I've never touched a cigarette, and I highly doubt I ever will (and not because of this, either). But they've banned smoking in public. They've raised the age limit to buy cigarettes. Surely that's enough? People have a right to smoke. This is just infringing on their individual rights. Due to the smoking in public places ban, their smoking affects very few non-smokers. Do they not have the right to smoke at home in peace, without having a load of complicated forms to sift through? The fact that the guy has stated that he wants to make the form as complex as possible to fill highlights just how unfair all this is.

Aedomir wrote:Cool idea I say! Smoking is a filthy habit, with absolutley zero reasons to do it.

That's all very well and good for you, but it's not for you, me or anyone else to dictate to others what they can and cannot do with their lives. Add this to the fact that the government already makes millions on cigarette tax a year, then it's just wrong to expect to demand more money on top of that, even if it is a minimal amount.

So no, I am not in favour of this, and I hope it doesn't get passed. Obviously it won't affect me in any way, but I think it's a slippery slope you start to climb when you start infringing on the rights of one group even though they are not, for the most part, infringing on the rights of others.

A great deal of the people I know who smoke started when they were underage. So from that point of view, I can see there being a greater number of 'fag-houses' popping up, I know there are already a great deal in my area -__-" I can also see more kids hanging around shops, asking people to go in and buy them some cigarettes.

If someone's already addicted and alreadys has means of getting cigarettes without a permit... I don't know. It just seems like a great deal of hassle over nothing to me. I also have no idea how they would police such a thing, given that many shops don't even bother to check I.D.