European Parliament Abandons Smoking Ban
(18/02/07)

The European Parliament has abandoned it's smoking ban after only 43 days. The ban was introduced last month at the parliament's two buildings in Brussels and Strasbourg. However, MEP's and staff infuriated by the removal of their 'smoking area's began smoking everywhere in the buildings and forced the abandonment of the ban.

The reversal of the ban is a major blow to anti smoking fanatics who have been fiercely lobbying European parliamentarians to introduce an EU wide smoking ban. The collapse of the ban follows open revolt by legislators and workers in the European Parliament buildings. One English MEP said "I have been ignoring it since January 1 and I have smoked in more places than before. I don't want to be told by the PC people what I can and cannot do," 

The parliament can hardly now expect EU citizens to obey silly smoking ban laws when they themselves, the legislators have utterly ignored, flouted and abandoned their own prohibition. The Anti smoking lobby admit this to be the case with a spokesperson Deborah Arnott of ASH describing the abandonment of the ban as "scandalous" and stating "it makes a mockery of the commissions proposals for an EU-wide smoking ban"

The first day after the introduction to Ireland of the smoking ban a front bench opposition spokesman was sacked after he lit up a cigarette in the Irish Parliament building, the Dail. His party leader Enda Kenny sacked TD John Deasy from his post which is indicative of the jackboot tactics deployed to enforce Ireland's smoking ban. This contrasts with what would have happened had Mr Deasy been a member of the European Parliament where he would not have been alone in his protest. It's doubtful Enda Kenny would have sacked him in that instance and one wonders if indeed Mr Kenny has sacked any of his party members or workers for flouting the ban in the European Parliament.

The question now for EU citizens is simple, Why should they obey laws the lawmakers themselves refuse to ? A question for the Irish to consider is, Should Irish smokers now follow the example set by the European lawmakers and start smoking everywhere until the silly smoking ban is lifted in Ireland ?