If you look hard enough, you will probably find that every day in the calendar has been taken over by some good cause or other. Most of the time, very few people hear of it and almost as often, this is just as well, because very few people care about that particular cause.
Today's day, Non Smoking Day 2007 (the day is in its 24th year) has perhaps more resonance than most. 12 million adults in the UK smoke cigarettes - 26% of men and 23% of women. The day is also particularly relevant for the LGBT community since 53% of gay men smoke. That a much higher rate than for the general population.
Every year, around 114,000 smokers in the UK die as a result of their addiction. This means that smoking kills around six times more people in the UK than road traffic accidents (3,439), other accidents (8,579), poisoning and overdose (881), alcoholic liver disease (5,121), murder and manslaughter (513), suicide (4,066), and HIV infection (234) all put together (22,833 in total - 2002 figures). This also has repercutions of the National Health Service and its operating costs, which means that we are all paying for the consequences of other people's self-destructive behaviour.
I am not even going to start on the general rudeness and lack of consideration displayed by smokers towards non-smokers. I have ranted about this before on these pages.
This year's edition of the day takes on a particular value too as a smoking ban in public place will be implemented from July in England. Today could therefore be since as some sort of dress rehearsal for the big blissful day.
Everybody get stubbing!
The No Smoking Day charity is funded by a coalition of government and voluntary sectors organisations.
Read my other posts on the subject here.
Today's day, Non Smoking Day 2007 (the day is in its 24th year) has perhaps more resonance than most. 12 million adults in the UK smoke cigarettes - 26% of men and 23% of women. The day is also particularly relevant for the LGBT community since 53% of gay men smoke. That a much higher rate than for the general population.
Every year, around 114,000 smokers in the UK die as a result of their addiction. This means that smoking kills around six times more people in the UK than road traffic accidents (3,439), other accidents (8,579), poisoning and overdose (881), alcoholic liver disease (5,121), murder and manslaughter (513), suicide (4,066), and HIV infection (234) all put together (22,833 in total - 2002 figures). This also has repercutions of the National Health Service and its operating costs, which means that we are all paying for the consequences of other people's self-destructive behaviour.
I am not even going to start on the general rudeness and lack of consideration displayed by smokers towards non-smokers. I have ranted about this before on these pages.
This year's edition of the day takes on a particular value too as a smoking ban in public place will be implemented from July in England. Today could therefore be since as some sort of dress rehearsal for the big blissful day.
Everybody get stubbing!
The No Smoking Day charity is funded by a coalition of government and voluntary sectors organisations.
Read my other posts on the subject here.
Nice post.
ReplyDeleteAs a Dubliner, it feels good to pub and club completely smoke free. Can't wait to visit my favourite north London pubs later this year - this time without hacking up a lung.