Second class citizens

Graeme Dunford writes: I’m not overweight. I regularly play football and squash. I run and cycle. I try to eat sensibly. I’m a moderate smoker. If I’m to believe the witchhunt that is the Government’s anti-smoking campaign I’ll be dead soon, riddled with cancer or heart disease, and I’ll have taken half of the population with me thanks to passive smoking.

Smokers have been harangued for making innocent people breathe their smoke for the last few years and now we’re being portrayed as selfish for popping outside for a fag and leaving our children parentless as a consequence. If the point of this campaign is to alienate smokers and turn them into second-class citizens it is working very well indeed.

If this kind of sectarianism was aimed towards any other group of people who’s lifestyle endangers their health (for example the obese) there would be massive public and media condemnation. Has anybody else noticed that the smoker in the latest 'advert' is ugly with a smug look on his face whereas the non smokers are all attractive people?

I’m waiting for the day when I have to wear a yellow sew-on cigarette on my clothing so that everyone can tell how much of an evil, selfish person I am.