Smoking Kills

Last year in August, my partner Gareth and I moved from Los Angeles to a small town in Scotland called St. Andrews. Gareth grew up in Wales so, as his partner, I was allowed to become a U.K. resident on a 2-year Work Visa. If we decide to remain here, I can then apply for citizenship after my Visa expires.

St. Andrews is a picturesque town on Scotland's southeastern coast, a little over an hour's drive from Edinburgh. http://www.standrews.org.uk/ It’s home to the University of St. Andrews, which is where Prince William just completed his Art History degree. According to several British newspapers, his 2001 arrival prompted a sharp increase in British Council inquiries by American girls who were suddenly interested in applying.

The town is also known as the "Home of Golf." The golf course frequented by all the celebs is called the Old Course at St. Andrews Links. Although I'm not a golfer, the fact that St. Andrews is THE place to golf means there are loads of decent restaurants. The downside is that, during the golfing season, the town becomes filled to the brim with Americans.

I don't have a problem with Americans as such. I just mistakenly thought that moving to a small, Scottish town would not involve daily encounters with my fellow countrymen (and women). Even more worrying, however, is that American tourists are allowed to drive on British roads without any tips or training whatsoever, imperiling British and non-British drivers alike. More on driving in the U.K. later.

To begin my exploration of the differences between British and American life, I thought I'd talk a little about the smoking ban that just came into effect in Scotland on March 26.

Although the whole of the U.K., which includes Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales, is mostly controlled through the British Parliament in London, taxpayers also support national assemblies that have limited decision-making powers over local affairs. This includes the ability to vote on and enact a public smoking ban. Northern Ireland had opted for a partial ban in 2005, while full bans in England and Wales are scheduled to go into effect in summer of 2007.

In the months leading up to the final decision, most of the polls I'd seen were in favor of the ban. However, a few groups (tobacco industry lobbyists, smokers' rights groups and restaurant and pub lobbyists) fought tooth and nail to keep it from happening. Interestingly, the plummeting revenues and sweeping pub closures predicted by these groups have not yet come to pass.
http://www.ashaust.org.au/SF'03/files/ScotBan060412.htm

Having spent a number of years in California - one of the handful of states that currently has a smoking ban - I'm thrilled to finally have a meal or a pint that's not laced with smoke, and from the reported revenue increases by many pubs, it sounds as though other non-smokers are flocking to enjoy the fresh air as well.

Which leads me to a discovery I made during my first trip to the grocery store. When I walked past the tobacco products area, the first thing I noticed were the startlingly large warnings on the cigarette packs. Not only did they take up nearly half the front and back of each pack (compared to the tiny warnings on the backs of U.S. packs), but the warnings themselves were more ominous. Besides the beautifully to-the-point, “Smoking Kills,” below is one of my favorites:

Although I found this “in your face” approach surprising, apparently it’s nothing compared to Canada, where they include graphic pictures of smoking-ravaged body parts on the packs as well. http://archives.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/01/09/canadian.cigarettes/