I heard it from a bishop... (Main Forum)

by Brian Coyne , LINDEN, NSW, Thursday, May 31, 2012, 16:38 (353 days ago) @ Francis

My best mate used to smoke Camels for the simple reason that nobody bothered to bot his smokes when they ran out. Enda, despite your missives against smokers, you almost make me want to love the man — a fellow addict like meself. I'm waiting for the riots to break out in NSW gaols as they have just begun an experiment this week banning cigarettes in Lithgow Gaol and if successful it will be banned in all NSW gaols. Apparently around 74% of inmates are addicts as against around 17% in the mainstream population. Milly and myself have been trying to give up — principally for financial reasons — for about 12 months with not much success. I lerved the line a columnist wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald the other day about the treatment someone gets smoking in the presence of Madam Lash, the Federal Attorney General and former Federal Health Minister, Nicola Roxon. Her attitudes are almost enough to drive me back to voting for Tony Abbott again! Little Miss Hitler! It is going to be interesting to see the effect of this experiment in NSW gaols. Apparently the ban has been introduced in other States. The speculation I read in one newspaper report is that this is one law they are unable to adequately enforce in gaols and the prison officers are reluctant to enforce it for understandable reasons for the riots that might ensue. Another regular contributor to Catholica was telling me the other day of his experiments in growing the stuff and also in buying "chop chop". The government has also announced a dramatic increase in the penalties for selling illegal tobacco — something like ten years gaol max.

It has long been evident that many of the poorest people in society are the ones that smoke the most. Also a high proportion of people suffering various forms of mental illness are smokers. The Labor Party sure knows how to "protect the health" of those they are supposed to care about most! One day the penny might drop as to why it is that the poorest smoke the most and why these present policies are misguided. Smoking might kill through diseases like lung cancer but it has also been a saviour for many people for precisely the reasons your mother gave, Enda. That logic seems to have not yet occured to the very intelligent people who have been the driving force behind the anti-smoking campaign for many decades and those who have never been addicted but detest the smell of cigarettes.

There was a rumour went around some years ago about Benedict being a smoker but it was subsequently denied. I'm not sure what to believe these days but, if he is, my respect for him has risen a tiny notch or two today. I don't blame him in the present climate. He's probably smoking more than ever given the lamentable state his institution is now in!

Brian Coyne
[Editor & Publisher]