Nanny's Polio Epidemic

Nanny is getting very restless these days about those of her "charges" who, despite all of her stern warnings, still insist on smoking.

Nanny feels that if they won't listen to her, then firm action will have to be taken in order to ensure that they stop this habit.

Nanny's best new friend, Patricia Hewitt the health secretary, is desperate to please Nanny. As such, she is contemplating the idea of a blanket ban on smoking in all public places.

This would mean that all pubs and restaurants would have to obey the ban.

Now this hardline stance, coming from a politician, may seem a tad unusual. After all politicians, especially those in Labour, have very few principles; and tend to "go with the flow", rather than set themselves up for potential failure.

Needless to say the idea and driving force behind this policy is not really Hewitt's, but Sir Liam Donaldson, the chief medical officer.

Sir Liam has rather a "fixed view" about smoking, he likens it to polio.

Now this is rather an odd view for a man of medicine I would have thought. After all, polio is an infectious disease that is indiscriminate in who it attacks. Only those who have been inoculated can feel confident that they will not succumb to it.

Smoking, on the other hand, is a social custom that is voluntarily undertaken. Those that do not wish to smoke, simply do not smoke.

However, mere facts like these do not deter men on a mission like Donaldson; ignoring many other health problems, Donaldson said a ban was the most pressing issue in public health:

"If we have to do one big thing, that has to be to eradicate tobacco like we eradicated polio."

So much for freedom of choice!

I assume that once Donaldson and his puppet, Hewitt, have eliminated smoking they will go after drinks and food.

That would be the next logical step.

Needless to say, since the proposals were reported in the press, Nanny has tried to pretend that this is merely a consultation exercise.

However, for Nanny "consultation" means badger and bully people until the mood shifts in her favour.

The deal is done, and the decision already made.