SNP seek to "denormalise" smoking

I'VE BEEN relatively supportive of the SNP and Alex Salmond, but this is just ludicrous.

If I can just release my inner Poujadiste for one second, I see absolutely no reason whatsoever to ban the sale of tobacco behind shop counters. The BBC has an interesting snippet about small shop owners and the Scottish Grocers Federation, who are obviously highly critical of the idea. Both claim that the ban will hit small businesses financially, and do absolutely nothing to prevent people from smoking. The Scottish Government claims that such as move will "denormalise" smoking, something that I would have hoped died with New Labour.

I have a problem with any government attempting to stigmatise any group of society, especially smokers, when there's no evidence that this will lead to a healthier society. As noted in the article, cigarettes are not an impulse buy, and if evidence from Ireland is any thing to go by - sales do not decline. However, we do end up stigmatising smokers. Perhaps that's the point? But my real concern is where this will stop? Will the Scottish Government do the same with fatty foods? What about Irn-Bru? Will your average cornershop end up being a mini version of Argos?

But I guess people had the same idea with pornography when they put it on the top shelf. Has this resulted in a sudden decline in sales of pornography? I would doubt it. However, I guess it allows government to believe that it's doing its job and protecting people. For all the SNP's rhetoric about helping small businesses, this is clearly evidence that they have a lot more work to do.