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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/16/melbourne-may-be-the-first-smoke-free-city-but-at-what-price
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| Melbourne may be soon be a smoke-free city – but at what price? | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Melbourne city council has gone on its | Melbourne city council has gone on its |
| yearly health kick and, instead of vowing to jog more or investigate that | yearly health kick and, instead of vowing to jog more or investigate that |
| whole clean eating malarkey, started muttering about banning smoking from the | whole clean eating malarkey, started muttering about banning smoking from the |
| city centre. It does this with tiresome | city centre. It does this with tiresome |
| regularity. | regularity. |
| My council – Melbourne city council, a | My council – Melbourne city council, a |
| council so eager to nag it will literally turn up on my doorstep if I’m a day | council so eager to nag it will literally turn up on my doorstep if I’m a day |
| late to re-register my cat – wants to come between me and my smoking. Their plan is to ban smoking throughout the CBD with the exception of small shelters of smokey iniquity where we are supposed to confine ourselves. | late to re-register my cat – wants to come between me and my smoking. Their plan is to ban smoking throughout the CBD with the exception of small shelters of smokey iniquity where we are supposed to confine ourselves. |
| On the surface, this is similar to how | On the surface, this is similar to how |
| Tokyo manages smoking, herding people into carcinogenic enclaves. Unlike | Tokyo manages smoking, herding people into carcinogenic enclaves. Unlike |
| Melbourne, this measure is created out of courtesy, to avoid creating mess or | Melbourne, this measure is created out of courtesy, to avoid creating mess or |
| accidentally burning others with a dangling fag. The Tokyo system has a unique | accidentally burning others with a dangling fag. The Tokyo system has a unique |
| side effect: these smoking enclosures are regularly visited by police who enjoy | side effect: these smoking enclosures are regularly visited by police who enjoy |
| harassing anyone lingering too long over a durrie. But Tokyo’s smoking community still has the | harassing anyone lingering too long over a durrie. But Tokyo’s smoking community still has the |
| option of bars and restaurants that allow them to puff away. | option of bars and restaurants that allow them to puff away. |
| Melbourne city council’s proposal is spectacularly | Melbourne city council’s proposal is spectacularly |
| stupid, as it is moralising against a legal substance. It’s a completely | stupid, as it is moralising against a legal substance. It’s a completely |
| unenforceable proposal that positions the public as police or will exist as a revenue-raising | unenforceable proposal that positions the public as police or will exist as a revenue-raising |
| spree, like the occasional expensive reminder we’re not allowed to jaywalk. | spree, like the occasional expensive reminder we’re not allowed to jaywalk. |
| It also fails on the cause-and effect sense | It also fails on the cause-and effect sense |
| test: for all the novelty of creating the world’s first smoke-free city, the | test: for all the novelty of creating the world’s first smoke-free city, the |
| council has effectively ensured that Exhibition and Treasury Gardens will also | council has effectively ensured that Exhibition and Treasury Gardens will also |
| become the world’s first largest heritage listed smoking lounges. | become the world’s first largest heritage listed smoking lounges. |
| What Melbourne city council also fails to | What Melbourne city council also fails to |
| consider is that this will waste the millions spent trying to convince people | consider is that this will waste the millions spent trying to convince people |
| that the CBD is the perfect mix of retail, corporate, entertainment and residential | that the CBD is the perfect mix of retail, corporate, entertainment and residential |
| precincts. Record numbers of people are moving to the | precincts. Record numbers of people are moving to the |
| CBD and it’s set to double in the next decade, with people discovering it’s | CBD and it’s set to double in the next decade, with people discovering it’s |
| cheaper to live here than in the suburbs. Residential developments continue at | cheaper to live here than in the suburbs. Residential developments continue at |
| a rapid pace providing a rich variety of homes, from bland ghettoes for uni | a rapid pace providing a rich variety of homes, from bland ghettoes for uni |
| students to bland penthouses for the rich. | students to bland penthouses for the rich. |
| As such, the city has changed to adapt, | As such, the city has changed to adapt, |
| with an increasing array of supermarkets, home retail and residential services. | with an increasing array of supermarkets, home retail and residential services. |
| It’s the perfect city with options to get about, work, amuse yourself and grab | It’s the perfect city with options to get about, work, amuse yourself and grab |
| a loaf of incredibly overpriced bread on the way home. This has been | a loaf of incredibly overpriced bread on the way home. This has been |
| deliberately encouraged by Melbourne city council. | deliberately encouraged by Melbourne city council. |
| Yet, despite all the inducements, the | Yet, despite all the inducements, the |
| council now wants people to stop smoking. It’s like asking everyone to come to | council now wants people to stop smoking. It’s like asking everyone to come to |
| a party, promising it will be off the hook only to find it’s actually a Baptist | a party, promising it will be off the hook only to find it’s actually a Baptist |
| bake sale. You know, the people are nice and mean well, but you just can’t be | bake sale. You know, the people are nice and mean well, but you just can’t be |
| yourself and have fun because it is completely different to what was sold. | yourself and have fun because it is completely different to what was sold. |
| Behind smoking, the second greatest (and | Behind smoking, the second greatest (and |
| also legal) killer in Australia is alcohol. Yet we still have one major street | also legal) killer in Australia is alcohol. Yet we still have one major street |
| in the CBD devoted to getting bladdered and Melbourne bars are almost as | in the CBD devoted to getting bladdered and Melbourne bars are almost as |
| ubiquitous as Melbourne cafés. Or Pieface. | ubiquitous as Melbourne cafés. Or Pieface. |
| Apparently some legal substances are more tolerated and profitable than | Apparently some legal substances are more tolerated and profitable than |
| others. | others. |
| Whatever attempts at prohibition from | Whatever attempts at prohibition from |
| Melbourne city council, its residents will adapt. In fact, Melburnians are | Melbourne city council, its residents will adapt. In fact, Melburnians are |
| skilled at adapting with style to recreate an intriguing city despite the | skilled at adapting with style to recreate an intriguing city despite the |
| attempts of the council to curb our vices. The abortive and arbitrary lockout, | attempts of the council to curb our vices. The abortive and arbitrary lockout, |
| which stopped people entering bars after 2am, affected smokers so much that | which stopped people entering bars after 2am, affected smokers so much that |
| rooftop bars were created in response to evade the council’s nannying, allowing | rooftop bars were created in response to evade the council’s nannying, allowing |
| businesses to prosper. | businesses to prosper. |
| When it comes to planning a city, | When it comes to planning a city, |
| Melbourne’s residents are equal (and possibly more effective) city planners who | Melbourne’s residents are equal (and possibly more effective) city planners who |
| can skirt the prudish attempts of the Council. Melbourne’s rich laneway system | can skirt the prudish attempts of the Council. Melbourne’s rich laneway system |
| is a great example – a response to existing interaction – and the ghost town | is a great example – a response to existing interaction – and the ghost town |
| status of Docklands an example of bad choices made disconnected from its | status of Docklands an example of bad choices made disconnected from its |
| population – a precinct to answer a need no one expressed. | population – a precinct to answer a need no one expressed. |
| So, if Melbourne city council are looking | So, if Melbourne city council are looking |
| for a way to kill off its entertainment and residential options but quicker | for a way to kill off its entertainment and residential options but quicker |
| than cancer, it’s going the right way. And while I can still (barely) afford | than cancer, it’s going the right way. And while I can still (barely) afford |
| cigarettes, the council must ask itself: can it afford this? | cigarettes, the council must ask itself: can it afford this? |