Smokers
Created | Updated Mar 18, 2004
Well, on March 29th, the smokers of Dublin will be banned from lighting up in public places. As I write this, it is national no smoking day and I can't help wondering how much this ban will affect the smokers in Dublin.
If national statistics are to be believed, 70% of the population do not smoke, and of those 30% that do, two thirds want to quit. Would a ban help people in the UK?
According to polls in Ireland, most people are in favour of the ban. Smokers know that their habit is unhealthy, and think that a ban will help them quit. Non-smokers welcome the idea that they can go to a pub or restaurant without worrying about smoke drifting across to them.
Lets face it, no smoking zones in restaurants and pubs are a joke. There is nothing to stop the smoke drifing into the non smoking zone and anyone who has ever watched cigarette smoke knows that it always expands to fill the available space.
But people in the UK seem to be opposed to the ban. Publicans are worried that they will either not be able to enforce the ban or that people will stay away from the pubs. But even if the smokers did stay away, they should only account for around 30% of their customers. In fact, in theory they should do more business. How many times have you passed a pub and thought
'I quite fancy a pint (or drink of your choice), but that place's usually too smoky for me'
Would it surprise you, dear reader, to know that there is, right now, a drug that dramatically reduces the effects of smoke on your respiratory system? It doesn't make you immune, but can dramatically reduce the amount of damage to your lungs1.
Interested? Too bad, because you can't have it. The American company that developed it will not ever produce it for market.
It was originally developed for bar staff, and other people who work in smoke filled environments but who do not smoke themselves. However, after it was developed, the makers realised that if it got onto the market, smokers would take it and believe themselves to be immune from the smoke they inhaled, so the drug was shelved.
And this just goes to illustrate the point. We pander to the smokers far too much. Why should 70% of us suffer for the bad habit of 30% of the population, most of whom want to quit? Why do we have alcholics and drug users anonymous, but nothing for smokers? And why is it that a drug that could save the lives of people who are forced to inhale second hand smoke be withheld because of fears that smokers will believe it makes them immune?
And as I write this, news is breaking that eight people have been BANNED FOR LIFE from Ryanair after smoking on board a plane. The case has been handed to the police, and they may face criminal charges. For smoking.
enzymes, including matrix metalloproteases (MMPs). These lead directly to tissue damage.
Arriva Pharmaceuticals has created a drug that they call GM60012 which prevents the damage by blocking MMPs. Lab mice received 96% less damage to lung tissue if they took GM6001 daily.
Source: New Scientist vol 180 issue 2415 - 04 October 2003, page 11 2Northwestern University in Illinois has
performed a clinical trial on another drug, called oltipraz, with similar effects
