Canadian blog tells how smoking bans damage elderly people in their homes

The Old Rambler is one of many blogs to cover the story of 88-year-old Philipina Schergevitch today. He lives in Canada where there is no exemption for elderly residential homes (although some have been able, against many odds, to construct special facilities) in a country with regular sub-zero daytime temperatures in the winter.

A link in this story shows a care worker facing court action for alleged criminal negligence following the death of resident Myles Patterson after being left smoking outside. The worker was acquitted in a short trial (read the second and subsequent accounts here). The Crown was no doubt anxious to absolve itself from any responsibility (without legislation there would have been no need for outdoor smoking) and the defence that a care worker with 15 years' experience on the job could 'forget' that an elderly person was smoking outdoors in a wheelchair in sub-zero temperatures as night was approaching is a little hard to believe. But the defendant was found not guilty, and the home took measures to prevent a recurrence of the tragedy by imposing a ban on anyone smoking outdoors in temperatures below 5 degrees.

Secondary smoke is really that scary to the Canadians.

The eviction notice against Philipina Schergevitch reaches another level because no one can show that smoking in one apartment causes contamination in another. They are struggling enough to show that the effects of secondary smoke cause more than mild irritation in the great majority of people. It's mostly air. The consequences of being stupidly scared of secondary smoke are bad enough, but this takes paranoia to a new level by claiming that smoke can creep along beside electricity cables into the house next door.

The government, which subsidises her rent should be thinking very, very hard about this.

Please don't delay in taking action and spreading the word.