A stark message to smokers, you are a drain on the nhs and you are bad for britain. 0r a drain on the nhs and you are bad for britain. Or is it none of our business . Or is it everyone� s business . Or is it everyone� s business . Personalfreedom, Personal Business . Personal freedom, personal pleasure, business . Personalfreedom, personal pleasure, responsibility, consideration for others, what do you think . Is it a moral duty to quit smoking . Get in touch. Phone lines will light up as it were. Here is the news from bethan holmes. Thanks, nicky. Nhs england is expected to announce significant changes to cancer waiting time targets which have been routinely missed in recent years. Its thought nine Performance Standards will be reduced to three. Labour has accused the government of Moving The Goalposts after repeated failures. The Health SecretarySteve Barclay has denied that claim. The government is considering putting messages inside Cigarette Packets to encourage smokers to quit. Theyll promote the health and financial benefits of giving up and direct people to the support available. Ministers will consult on the plans. At least 93 people have been killed by wildfires on the Hawaiian Island of maui. Hundreds of people are still unaccounted for. The governor of the us state says hundreds of hotel rooms will be provided for those whove lost their homes. Dorset council says it told a Home Office Official about traces of Legionella On The Bibby Stockholm earlier than the government has admitted. Asylum seekers boarded the Barge Last Monday But were removed on friday after the bacteria was found. Ministers say they didnt know about the findings until wednesday evening. So, what has the Health Secretary, Steve Barclay, said about this . He is not. He said smoking places a huge burden on the nhs, on the economy, on individuals, it directly causes a whole host of health problems, including cancers, cardiovascular disease, it costs the economy billions every year in lost productivity. By taking action to reduce Smoking Rates and pursuing our ambition to be smoke free by 2030, that means around 6 only of the population smoking, my words not his, we will reduce the pressure on the nhs and help people live healthier lives. Sweden, yes, sweden, the un country european country with lowest rates of smoking, smoking was banned in all bars and restaurants in 2005, in 2019 that was extended to include outdoor seating in thousand restaurants as well as public places. Maybe that should be done here. 08085 909 693, 85058, is it your moral, solemn, nay, patriotic duty, to quit smoking . I mention Steve Barclay, the health and social care secretary, a previous Health Secretary back in 2004 created a right stink, which is what cigarettes do, john reid, he angered Health Campaigners when he came out with this stuff, he said, smoking is one of the few pleasures left for the poor on sink estates and in working mens clubs. He said the middle classes were obsessed with giving an instruction to people from lower Socio Economic backgrounds, and smoking was not one of the worst problems facing poor people. There was outrage then and there would be outrage now, at my mere reading out of it. Deborah arnott, chief executive of action 0n smoking and health, welcome back, deborah. Thank ou, there health, welcome back, deborah. Thank you. There is health, welcome back, deborah. Thank you. There is so health, welcome back, deborah. Thank you, there is so much health, welcome back, deborah. Thank you, there is so much to health, welcome back, deborah. Thank you, there is so much to get health, welcome back, deborah. Thank you, there is so much to get to you, there is so much to get to grips with there but can i start off by. Grips with there but can i start off b. , grips with there but can i start off by. You can in a minute, ust let me introduce by. You can in a minute, ust let me introduce everyone by. You can in a minute, just let me introduce Everyone Else. By. You can in a minute, just let. Me introduce Everyone Else. Simon clark, director of Smokers Rights Group primarily funded by the Tobacco Industry. Comeback, simon. Excellent to have you on. And debbie in yate and Margie In Glasgow and peter in shrewsbury. Straight out of the traps. Deborah, what were you going to say, Deborah Arnott . Weill. Going to say, Deborah Arnott . Well, before the news, going to say, Deborah Arnott . Well, before the news, you going to say, Deborah Arnott . Ii before the news, you mentioned that this was a sort of Lifestyle Choice, thatis this was a sort of Lifestyle Choice, that is a myth promoted by the Tobacco Companies. They decades denied, even though they knew their own research showed how addictive it was, it takes smokers about 30 times before they quit and most people start and become addicted as children, this is not a Lifestyle Choice which is why it is the responsibility of government to help and support people to quit, and just because you are poor doesnt mean you think smoking is a good idea, it isjust that life is more is just that life is more difficult and the more difficult life is, the more addicted smokers tend to be and the harder they find it too quick so it is really more important that we help poor and disadvantaged workers to quit. It is help poor and disadvantaged workers to auit. ,. ,. , to quit. It is the old quote, stepping to quit. It is the old quote, Stopping Smoking to quit. It is the old quote, Stopping Smoking is to quit. It is the old quote, Stopping Smoking is easy, | to quit. It is the old quote, | Stopping Smoking is easy, i to quit. It is the old quote, Stopping Smoking is easy, i have done it loads of times. But it is a Lifestyle Choice, there is a Fashion Aspect to it as there is with apes of course with young people, what they call, what a misnomer, the Social Smoker . They call, what a misnomer, the Social Smoker . You would not call a heroin addiction Social Smoker . You would not call a Heroin Addiction ASocial Smoker . You would not call a Heroin Addiction A LifestyleSocial Smoker . You would not call a Heroin Addiction ALifestyle Choice. L Heroin Addiction ALifestyle Choice. Are you comparing it to heroin . It is as difficult to quit. It does not do the same damage in all sorts of different ways but the damage to your health is massive, Up To Two Thirds of long term smokers die from smoking related diseases, the other thing announced today was the major Condition Strategy to tackle cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, dementia, Mental Ill Health and skeletal disorders, namely back problems. All those things are caused by smoking, all those things and many other things besides. And and many other things besides. And exacerbated. And and many other things besides. And exacerbated. And i and many other things besides. And exacerbated. And i am and many other things besides. And exacerbated. And i am an and many other things besides. And exacerbated. And i am an ex and many other things besides. And i exacerbated. And i am an ex smoker, i know exacerbated. And i am an ex smoker, i know how exacerbated. And i am an ex smoker, i know how hard exacerbated. And i am an ex smoker, i know how hard it exacerbated. And i am an ex smoker, i know how hard it can exacerbated. And i am an ex smoker, i know how hard it can be exacerbated. And i am an ex smoker, i know how hard it can be to exacerbated. And i am an ex smoker, i know how hard it can be to quit, exacerbated. And i am an ex smoker, i know how hard it can be to quit, i i i know how hard it can be to quit, i was a Social Smoker, i said i wasnt a smoker but every friday night i would go down the pub and buy a packet of cigarettes from a Vending Machine at an exorbitant price and smoke them all, that is not being a non smoker. Smoke them all, that is not being a nonsmoker nonsmoker. They are exorbitant, arent they . Nonsmoker. They are exorbitant, arent they . Simon nonsmoker. They are exorbitant, arent they . Simon clark, nonsmoker. They are exorbitant, arent they . Simon clark, you nonsmoker. They are exorbitant, arent they . Simon clark, you are | arent they . Simon clark, you are saying the Tobacco Industry has been less than honest on this, deborah, simon clark . I less than honest on this, deborah, simon clark . Simon clark . I dont think anybody over the last simon clark . I dont think anybody over the last 40 simon clark . I dont think anybody over the last 40 or simon clark . I dont think anybody over the last 40 or 50 simon clark . I dont think anybody over the last 40 or 50 years simon clark . I dont think anybody over the last 40 or 50 years can i simon clark . I dont Think Anybodyl over the last 40 or 50 years can say that is over the last 40 or 50 years can say that is true over the last 40 or 50 years can say that is true because everybody including that is true because everybody including the Tobacco Industry has lon including the Tobacco Industry has long acknowledged that there are serious long acknowledged that there are Serious Health risks associated with smoking Serious Health risks associated with smoking. We have never denied it. That is smoking. We have never denied it. That isjust smoking. We have never denied it. That isjust not true, simon. That is just not true, simon. Deborah, we wont as if i canjust have deborah, we wont as if i canjust have a deborah, we wont as if i canjust have a few deborah, we wont as if i canjust have a few words myself, i mean, the fact of have a few words myself, i mean, the fact of the have a few words myself, i mean, the fact of the matter is, people know about fact of the matter is, people know about the fact of the matter is, people know about the health risks of smoking, clearly about the health risks of smoking, clearly the about the health risks of smoking, clearly the government does have a role to clearly the government does have a role to play clearly the government does have a role to play in educating people about role to play in educating people about those health risks, the problem about those health risks, the problem is in recent decades the government has overstepped the mark by going government has overstepped the mark by going beyond education into full blown coercion. By going beyond education into full blown coercion. And we have seen full blown coercion. And we have seen that full blown coercion. And we have seen that with a number of the policies. Seen that with a number of the policies, the smoking ban. A coercion. Policies, the smoking ban. A coercion, what are you talking about . Coercion, what are you talking about . By coercion, what are you talking about . By making it more and more difficult about . By making it more and more difficult for about . By making it more and more difficult for people to smoke in public difficult for people to smoke in public places, the idea was to force People Public places, the idea was to force people to public places, the idea was to force people to quit smoking and the smoking people to quit smoking and the smoking ban actually failed in that respect smoking ban actually failed in that respect because the years following the introduction of the smoking ban saw Smoking Rates hardly falling at all. Saw Smoking Rates hardly falling at aii~ we saw Smoking Rates hardly falling at aii~ we are saw Smoking Rates hardly falling at all. We are not against education and this all. We are not against education and this announcement today talks about and this announcement today talks about putting inserts into cigarette packs. About putting inserts into cigarette packs. I about putting inserts into cigarette packs, i dont have a problem with that whatsoever as long as the information on those inserts educates information on those inserts educates people and says, look, these educates people and says, look, these are educates people and says, look, these are different ways that you can quit these are different ways that you can quit smoking. What we are against can quit smoking. What we are against is can quit smoking. What we are against is the type of very intrusive against is the type of very intrusive anti smoking measures, the dispiay intrusive anti smoking measures, the display ban intrusive anti smoking measures, the display ban was quite intrusive and the ban display ban was quite intrusive and the ban on display ban was quite intrusive and the ban on Menthol Cigarettes was extremeiy the ban on Menthol Cigarettes was extremely intrusive because you were introducing extremely intrusive because you were introducing a form of Prohibition Kortney introducing a form of prohibition Kortney Hause cannot being able to see something be intrusive . It is designed see something be intrusive . It is designed to be normalised. It is a contradiction designed to be normalised. It is a contradiction in designed to be normalised. It is a contradiction in terms. Designed to be normalised. It is a contradiction in terms. I designed to be normalised. It is a| contradiction in terms. I disagree. You are not contradiction in terms. I disagree. You are notjust contradiction in terms. I disagree. You are notjust denormalising I Contradiction in terms. I disagree. I you are notjust denormalising the you are not just de normalising the product. You are not just de normalising the product. You you are not just de normalising the product, you are de normalising the consumer product, you are de normalising the consumer as product, you are de normalising the consumer as well. Deborah earlier said it consumer as well. Deborah earlier said it is consumer as well. Deborah earlier said it is not consumer as well. Deborah earlier said it is not a Lifestyle Choice but for said it is not a Lifestyle Choice but for a said it is not a Lifestyle Choice but for a great many people it is, and what but for a great many people it is, and what deborah overlooks, just because and what deborah overlooks, just because she was an ex smoker who wanted because she was an ex smoker who wanted to because she was an ex smoker who wanted to give up smoking, there are nrany wanted to give up smoking, there are many people who do want to give up smoking, many people who do want to give up smoking, perhaps wish they had never started smoking, perhaps wish they had never started but smoking, perhaps wish they had never started but there are millions of people started but there are millions of people who enjoy smoking and get a reat people who enjoy smoking and get a great deal people who enjoy smoking and get a great deal of pleasure from smoking, and we great deal of pleasure from smoking, and we need to accept that and we need and we need to accept that and we need to and we need to accept that and we need to accept that those people have rights because tobacco is a legal have rights because tobacco is a legal product and as long as it remains legal product and as long as it remains legal, people have every ii l ht remains legal, people have every right to remains legal, people have every right to smoke without. But those eo le right to smoke without. But those eole are right to smoke without. But those people are costing right to smoke without. But those people are costing everyone right to smoke without. But those people are costing Everyone Else i right to smoke without. But those people are costing Everyone Else a| people are costing Everyone Else a lot of money, that is the argument. Deborah, come back in quickly and then we will go to our brilliant callers. I then we will go to our brilliant callers. ,. , ,. , then we will go to our b