The evidence is clear that smoking is a major public health issue that requires action. Despite efforts by tobacco companies to hide the truth, no one with scientific credibility has disputed the findings of Richard Doll, an Oxford epidemiologist who established the link between smoking and cancer as far back as 1950. Two out of three people who continue to smoke will die prematurely, and smoking is responsible for nine out of 10 cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The financial burden on an already strained National Health Service due to smoking-related illnesses amounts to billions of pounds annually. The “nanny state” is backed by science, common sense, and public opinion in arguments regarding the merits of restricting smoking. Compulsory seat belts in cars and helmets for motorcyclists were once opposed by a vocal libertarian minority, but now few argue against these safety measures. Big Tobacco is facing the facts – in the UK alone, an estimated 76,000 deaths each year are caused by smoking.