Thank you for your cautionary tale, but I think that I will continue to take my chances driving on the highway, preferring to encounter the odd chain smoker rather than an alcoholic with a few too many under his belt or a drug addict. Besides -- what protection do we have should someone have a heart attack or a sudden stroke while driving? I'm sure it happens. So .... I must ask. What's your point?

Banning smoking on train and bus platforms, its got to be one of the craziest ideas yet. Can anybody seriously see all the soldiers and civilians all smoking while they wait for the train and bus being told to put out their cigarettes? it will be illegal to do officially but so many people will just ignore the law that nobody will try and enforce it. Ban smoking in all schools, its the right thing to do and easy to enforce and increase the taxes but the government shouldn't try and seek unrealistic goals.

It's one of the last rebellious acts I can still perform at my age

Just to countermand your statement that "a smokers performance in the workplace is not affected by nicotine". I admittedly gave a very extreme example but just for your knowlege anyone who smokes is directly affecting their performance in all ways possible, especially their mental performance. It is a simple fact that the brain works better and clearer when it receives pure oxygen, or clean fresh unpolluted air. The job of the blood is to carry oxygen to the brain, it also carries other nutrients, but if it carries nicotine and other poisons then this has a direct bearing on the function of the brain.

If heroine is prohibited, then NICOTINE should be too... It´s an addictive product, and smokers are unaware they are DRUG ADDICTS!!! Me included... The government should stop these drug dealers before it´s too late.

Do you really think it;s a pressing issue at a time like this? Maybe there are more peope with their heads buried in the sand than I thought