Nicotine - the new illegal substance !

The National Heart Foundation, The Cancer Council and other health bodies have called on the Australian and New Zealand governments to embark on a plan to make Nicotine an illegal substance within a ten year time frame.
It is an ambitious project to make the two nations smoke free by extending the rolling restrictions that have banned smokers from trains, buses and ferries - from beaches and public buildings - from cafes and dining rooms - and in the latest increment - from pubs and clubs.
They want a ban on all forms of display for tobacco products - and the removal of brand names and logos from cigarette packets. In this way visual appeal would be destroyed - and they want cigarettes to be an under the counter item which would have to be specifically asked for - reminiscent on the laws that pertained to condoms - when they were known as " French letters " - way back in the 1950's.
Any government thinking along these lines would be wise to draw back and consider all the issues involved. For a start, there is little precedent for banning a product that has been perfectly legal for centuries. The fact that it would be for the public good is a slippery slope which conjours up visions of " 1984 " and the reign of " Big Brother ".
Then there is the practical side of such a ban. We already have gaols full of people who flout the law to make a living importing and pushing narcotic drugs - and despite draconian penalties and a huge outlay nothing seems to put even a small dent in that drug flow.
We even have an existing smuggling chain of tobacco products coming into the country - because of the severity of custom duties and excise that delivers a bounty of seven billion dollars to the Federal government dodging these taxes is a very lucrative way of making a fortune.
Then comes the final crunch. Are we to become our brother's keeper ? To smoke or not to smoke is a personal decision we make as individuals - with the knowledge of what that decision will do to our health and longevity.
Will the day come that a government inspector will call weekly to confirm that we have eaten our legally required portion of Brocolli - now that health standards are to be enforced for our own good ?
A total ban on smoking could be the tip of the iceberg !