The smoking ban

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Making the last days of life a misery

Saturday, 19th April 2008

From Margaret Dickie

In Northern Ireland the smoking ban is unbelievable. I would not have believed it if I hadn’t seen it happening for myself.

At 82 my mum died, a smoker all her life. The family took it in shifts to sit with her day and night. We wheeled her outside to have a smoke while she was able to sit up. It was the middle of Feburary. There was a veranda next her ward but it was kept locked. It was awful to see her reduced to begging for a smoke.

My uncle died after mum, a soldier and a gentleman. He smoked. A few days before he died he was taken to hospital, but the smoking ban has now stopped anyone smoking on hospital grounds. He saw many men die for their country, yet he was refused a last smoke by this ban. Some of the hospital staff have been very good, some have been downright nasty.

We have no right to make anyone’s life a misery, smokers or non-smokers, These two  deserved better in their last days on this earth.

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