Scotland must be completely smoke-free: MEP letter

Catherine Stihler MEP (Scotland) has written in The Edinburgh Reporter about her plans to work for a smoke-free Scotland.

I wrote to Ms Stihler a few years ago about an Irish employer who had advertised a position with the words 'smokers need not apply'. She wasn't bothered about it (employers can choose who they want to employ after all), and declared her wish to see all workplaces smoke-free throughout Europe. I find this wrong on many levels: many workplaces are relatively smoke-free anyway (libraries, schools and so on) but for a Europe-wide directive to ban the provision of smoking rooms is SO out of order. The Irish employer was indeed free to advertise on his own terms (although clearly no discrimination would have been allowed on racial or gender grounds: 'blacks need not apply' would have been illegal).

Ms Stihler's ambitions have progressed, if she wishes to make Scotland smoke-free. I have asked at what point persuasion will give way to coercion. Comments on this piece are moderated.