Think of the children (and more BBC bias)
Tomorrow smoking in cars carrying children will be banned in Scotland.
It's pretty much identical to the legislation that was introduced in England last year.
Yesterday I recorded interviews for Radio Clyde, Global Radio and Sky Radio.
Tomorrow I'll be on BBC Radio Scotland.
Today I'm quoted by Scotland on Sunday, the Scottish Mail on Sunday and the Sunday Times Scotland.
Several people have queried why Forest bothers to fight such legislation. The reason is simple - it's unnecessary and wrong.
It's also a stepping stone to far more intrusive regulations - a ban on smoking in all private vehicles and, eventually, a ban on smoking in the home.
If smoking in cars was a significant risk to children's health it would have been prohibited a long time ago, years before smoking was banned in well-ventilated adult friendly pubs and clubs,
Or so you would have thought. Instead we're now led to believe it's on a par with child abuse, or worse.
At the very least seven million people are branded as ignorant, selfish and inconsiderate when, by and large, the opposite is true.
The overwhelming majority of smokers don't smoke in a car with children because they know that it's inconsiderate at best.
Nor do the overwhelming majority light up in children's play areas or by the school gates.
Health isn't the issue - they're outside, for heaven's sake. The principal reason is that, without legislation, most smokers have decided that it's probably inappropriate and and have changed their behaviour voluntarily.
(Personally, I think common sense should come into play and smoking in play areas should be governed by circumstances, a bit like driving fast on a clear open road or one that is heavily congested.)
Anyway governments and local authorities seem determined to brand every smoker as a potential threat to the nation's children.
Children, we are led to believe, are so vulnerable that even the sight of someone smoking will lead to a lifelong addiction.
This is not unlike the Scotland I grew up in, except the 'curse' was alcohol. In those days every pub in Scotland has frosted glass so children couldn't see adults drinking.
For the same reason customers weren't allowed to drink outside.
We've moved on from that. Now it's smoking that's cast as the morally degenerate behaviour we must save our children from.
Update: BBC News (Scotland) has a report about the car smoking ban (Ban on smoking in cars with children to come into force).
Interestingly, even though we sent the Scottish newsdesk our response on Friday, the BBC has ignored it.
Consequently at 6.30 this morning I was on the phone to the BBC in Glasgow and have just sent this email:
Smoking in cars with children: concerned at the shockingly one-sided nature of your report on this story despite the fact that we sent you our response on Friday.
Forest has been quoted by the Press Association and several newspapers including the Scotsman, Scottish Mail on Sunday and, I believe, the Sunday Times Scotland.
Your report quotes not one but FOUR supporters of the legislation and not a single opposing voice. Great journalistic standards. Well done.
The online newsdesk team get in at 9.00am, apparently. Let's see if they update their report.
Here's the Press Association report (with a quote from Forest): Ban on smoking in cars with children present to come into force.
Ditto the Mail Online: Ban on smoking in cars with children present to come into force.
The Sunday Mail and The People have also quoted Forest while the Dundee Courier reports, 'Law to protect youngsters branded "pointless" by smokers' group'.
The BBC? Nothing.
Update: My phone call to the BBC has resulted in their report being updated but why didn't they include an opposing voice in the first place, and why should I have to call them at 6.30 on a Sunday morning to make that point?
No surprise.
I've had a call to say the British Medical Association is using tomorrow's milestone to demand a ban on smoking in all private vehicles regardless of whether children are in the car.
To put this in perspective the BMA has been calling for this since 2011.
I've responded as follows:
"What the BMA is proposing is creeping prohibition.
"Banning smoking in all private vehicles, regardless of the presence of children, is completely unjustified.
"There's no evidence that smoking while driving is a road safety issue. The only reason to ban it is to make life as awkward as possible for adults who choose to smoke.
"We don't condone smoking in cars with children, which is inconsiderate. Adults however have a choice and if the driver is smoking we can choose not to travel in the same vehicle or we can speak up.
"If drivers are on their own there's no reason at all to ban smoking in cars. It's a private space and the BMA should butt out."
The BMA isn't alone, of course. A complete ban on smoking in cars is also on ASH's wish list.
Let's be honest, they won't rest until smoking is prohibited everywhere.