Outdoor smoking ban mooted in Inverclyde Parks

Does anyone remember the April Fool's Day following the introduction of the smoking ban back in 2006? Headline was that Inverclyde had unilaterally overturned the smoking ban. It hit the internet with a thump and some of my sleepy English friends demanded to know where I was and had I got in touch with the Mayor of Inverclyde (largely imagined to be an island off the West Coast rather than a region within sight of Glasgow, or  Dunbartonshire at any rate). At that time we might well have been hopeful of a quicker and more satisfactory outcome.

Sadly this light-heartedness has been taken off the internet. I can't find it anyway. And Inverclyde Council (which may not have been amused in the first place) has just agreed that children should be protected from smoking adult role models and, as a pilot project, has banned adults from smoking in play parks. The argument has progressed from secondary smoking to role models.

As readers point out, it may be that children lose out, if adults use the play parks less. If so their parents would no doubt be blamed. This further example of denormalisation (let's not see adults enjoying themselves smoking in the fresh air, especially with children about) rightly irritates these readers:

As an ex-smoker I think this is taking things too far, if parents are taking their children to the park they will stand aside to have a cigerette while watching the children, now they most likely won't take them to the park because if they were going to have a cigerette they will have to leave thus upsetting the child as they would take them with them not just stand aside and look on. I agree with the previous comment children would get no fresh air and the parks will fall into disrepair or dare I say dens for drink and drug users....So keep parks family friendly for smokers and non-smokers alike!!!!

Anti-smokers happily throw people on the street when they want to be in the pub, yet when they want to be outside, find a reason that this should not be allowed either. Ways and means are found to inconvenience and pressurise smokers. How anyone can get away with calling this persecution beats me.