WHAT ABOUT SMOKERS' RIGHTS? 

You have the right to choose to smoke - but not to expose anyone else to harmful tobacco smoke toxins, particularly in their workplace. 

"Your right to swing your fist ends at the tip of my nose."

We don't support discrimination against smokers. We don't say smokers should be "kicked out" - just that you should smoke well away from non-smokers and staff, where your smoke won't hurt them.

Smoking is "legal"?  Sure. So is driving - but we don't let people drive along footpaths. You can "legally" use an oxy welding torch or a chainsaw - but you wouldn't be allowed to wave them around in a crowded dining area.

NSW Council for Civil Liberties policy (2011) says:   It is a person's right to use any legal substance, but the context of use should be dependent on the health and comfort of others. Smoking should only be allowed where there is no likelihood of passive smoking causing harm to others.  

If you're a smoker, think for a moment of the workers in pubs, clubs, gaming rooms or restaurants who have to work all day or night breathing in your smoke. 
They face serious illness. It's a fact that secondhand smoke can kill - it's a high-level human carcinogen - in fact not just one but a whole cocktail of them. Its harm to heart and lungs can start within minutes. Even at low doses it's known to be a serious risk, especially for the employees repeatedly exposed. Think of the families of these workers, and how much they worry. Then ask yourself whether the inconvenience of going right outside and away from others for your smoke isn't reasonable, compared to the alternative if you don't.

And think of the people with smoke-affected disabilities - heart conditions, asthma, cystic fibrosis, diabetes. Your smoking denies them access and employment, because they can't safely enter venues where they can expect to be exposed to your secondhand smoke.

If you as a smoker feel your rights are being ignored, you're right – but not by us. 
Have a look at this list of Smokers’ basic rights – and how tobacco companies have ignored these rights and exploited smokers for decades.

What smokers really need is more funding for public information, and better facilities to inform them fully about the product they're using - and to help the nine out of ten smokers who want to quit.  We support these things. The real enemy of smokers is not the public health community, it's the tobacco industry.

 

Back to  index