Retreat in Sandwell cigarette ash case

Over to Anna Raccoon for this story of how the blogosphere prevailed against Sandwell Borough Council. They have dropped the case of Sheila Martin, an elderly resident of the borough who was booked for dropping cigarette ash.

Three stories make progress

1. Scotsman report on backlash against tobacco display ban: I expected a retaliation from ASH Scotland on Monday morning. It's here! Sheila Duffy reiterates her faith that smoking is the worst thing that could possibly happen to any young person and we are bound to go to any ridiculous lengths to ensure youngsters never even get a sight of tobacco when out shopping (as if that were guaranteed to prevent youth smoking).

2. In A Lesson for Grampian, I pointed out that hospitals in Derby were reintroducing smoking shelters having attempted to go smoke free for a few years. This morning The Telegraph reports on Bournemouth hospitals taking the same action.

3. Finally in Banned from claiming that e-cigs are a stop-smoking aid, I tried to explain the absurdity of official attitudes to the e-cigarette. On the same theme, Tobacco Harm Reduction blog writes: Is parody dead when writing about tobacco harm reduction?

Pensioner fined for littering (cigarette ash)

Over to Anna Raccoon, who has launched a campaign to assist Sheila Martin, fined for allowing cigarette ash to drop from a half-finished cigarette. Fighting 'em on the Sandwell.