Government Votes for Complete Ban on Smoking

The Government has voted for a complete ban on smoking in pubs, clubs, restaurants and work places from summer 2007. I am a smoker. Should I dodge all the stones being thrown now? It is very popular in this day and age to vehemently state how awful smoking is and how it should be banned. But, have you considered what effect the ban will have? First, the financial effect. Smokers pay enormous taxes on every pack of cigarettes they buy. The government is already having a "cash crisis" so much so that they are suggesting untrained maternity support workers to deliver babies. What effect will the loss of the revenue from cigarette taxes have? At the very best the government will raise our taxes to compensate. Next, The British Medical Journal study of over 30,000 people over a period of 40 years showed zero incidence of higher incidence of lung or heart related disease in families of smokers. The cancer society objects to this study. Not surprising as it would invalidate every other study with regard to second hand smoke. And even assuming the British Medical Journal was wrong it is a violation of our personal liberties to ban public smoking as one could avoid smokers much the same way one avoids perfume if they are allergic. Should an office building in which one person is allergic to nuts ban all nuts? No, the person allergic to nuts should be responsible for avoiding them. Much the same way that a person who does not wish to be around smoke should not sit in the smoking section.