BMJ  2006;332 (28 January), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7535.0-f

Editor's choice

Vice versa

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

It may seem perverse to support the banning of one vice while calling for the legalisation of another. But in both cases, the rationale has little to do with morals and everything to do with improving public health.

The first vice, smoking in enclosed public places, is thankfully likely to become a thing of the past in England, when UK members of parliament take part in a free vote on a ban next month. Last year's proposed compromise—to allow smoking in pubs that don't serve food—was widely criticised as unworkable and likely to increase health inequalities (p 194). A total ban now looks inevitable, bringing the United Kingdom in line with Bhutan, Cuba, Ireland, Italy, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, and several states in the United States.

For the remaining doubters, however, a paper in this week's journal may bring them round (p 227). It suggests that . . . [Full text of this article]

Fiona Godlee, editor

(fgodlee@bmj.com)


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