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Penny Mordaunt Smoking

(37 Posts)
Caleo Thu 10-Apr-25 16:27:29

Mordaunt, who I admired so much for her spectacular role at the Coronation , is a disappointment.

"Penny Mordaunt has taken a job advising one of the world’s biggest tobacco companies on “harm reduction”." (Guardian)

Gummie Sat 19-Apr-25 13:38:16

Back in the day some people smoked to stay thin. Smoking instead of eating. Many people still do.

Now of course those with an addiction to food or lack of willpower can take an injection instead.

Caleo Sat 19-Apr-25 12:30:18

Grantanow, not a "religious bigot" , I am fond of quoting from The Bible. I guess they don't teach scripture as such in schools nowadays. It used to be as common as Shakespeare.

Grantanow Thu 17-Apr-25 16:58:23

Caleo

Grantanow wrote: "What has 'God' got to do with it?"

Civilised society is largely shaped by Christianity. Books of The Bible are a large part of our common intellectual inheritance.

That is so but as God does not, in my opinion, exist no decision should be based on his purported views. Religion bigots are all too ready to enlist Him.

Grantanow Thu 17-Apr-25 16:56:17

Caleo

Grantanow wrote:

What has God to do with anything?

I didn't. I wrote 'What has God got to do with it'.

Allira Fri 11-Apr-25 22:16:08

Early 1960s - students - parties
At least drugs weren't around much then.

ViceVersa Fri 11-Apr-25 20:15:19

Allira

Maybee my MIL was advised to take up smoking by her GP to calm her nerves during the war, when her husband was missing.
She did manage to give up several years later.

Lots of people smoked in the 1960s, ViceVersa, it was 'cool'!

When you smoke you don’t notice how awful you smell.
I smoked for a few years, gave up and that was one reason why I didn't start again.

I know that it was perceived as 'cool' for a while, but I still don't understand why people would join in just 'to be cool'. I don't get that at all. No-one has to be one of the sheep who does something just because everyone else does.

Allira Fri 11-Apr-25 19:55:23

Maybee my MIL was advised to take up smoking by her GP to calm her nerves during the war, when her husband was missing.
She did manage to give up several years later.

Lots of people smoked in the 1960s, ViceVersa, it was 'cool'!

When you smoke you don’t notice how awful you smell.
I smoked for a few years, gave up and that was one reason why I didn't start again.

MayBee70 Fri 11-Apr-25 19:30:33

ViceVersa

Why does anyone even start smoking in the first place? Genuine question. It's always completely baffled me why anyone would think that sticking something in their mouth and setting light to it would ever be a good idea.

As someone that struggles socially when my marriage broke up and I found myself in a singles group I started smoking because it made me feel part of the group who smoked. It also gave me something to hide behind. I’d always been an occasional smoker that could have a cigarette and then not smoke again first weeks or months until then. When you smoke you don’t notice how awful you smell. There is the association aspect, too. I rarely went to pubs but when I did I would want a cigarette straight away, because I associated pubs with cigarettes. I was so grateful when it was banned, although I did, for a while, smoke outside. Which, in itself was quite nice at the time because I’d have some fascinating conversations with complete strangers. I’d give anything to turn the clock back to those years and omit the smoking. I think that a lot of people that are there to help people quit don’t actually understand how difficult it is. Having said that I’ve never bothered with alcohol.

ViceVersa Fri 11-Apr-25 19:13:15

Caleo

Vice Versa, FYI I began to smoke because I wanted to look like the film stars. This was a long time ago.

I guess a lot of young people begin to smoke to be like their peers.

See now, I don't understand that, because to me, anyone who smokes is a complete turn-off, so I would never want to look like anyone who did that, and peer pressure never really entered into the equation with me either.

Grannylynj Fri 11-Apr-25 19:02:44

Her lungs her life

Caleo Fri 11-Apr-25 18:50:54

Grantanow wrote: "What has 'God' got to do with it?"

Civilised society is largely shaped by Christianity. Books of The Bible are a large part of our common intellectual inheritance.

Caleo Fri 11-Apr-25 18:47:15

Vice Versa, FYI I began to smoke because I wanted to look like the film stars. This was a long time ago.

I guess a lot of young people begin to smoke to be like their peers.

Caleo Fri 11-Apr-25 18:41:35

Grantanow wrote:

What has God to do with anything?

ViceVersa Fri 11-Apr-25 18:28:35

Why does anyone even start smoking in the first place? Genuine question. It's always completely baffled me why anyone would think that sticking something in their mouth and setting light to it would ever be a good idea.

MayBee70 Fri 11-Apr-25 18:18:32

Allira

MayBee70

lixy

Good for her - at least she isn’t head of advertising.

She has a calm, logical brain and so will be good at finding ways of reducing harm to those who are unfortunately addicted to nicotine. I hope her role encompasses advising on reducing the impact of the tobacco monocultures on the environment too.

Sorry you are disappointed but there are positives too.

There are no positives in smoking. None. Absolutely none…

Well, try telling that to those who are addicted.

There are no positives to many drugs but addicts are not helped by people telling them that.

I’m an ex smoker. Would be thinking about the next cigarette while I was smoking the first one. I know how addictive smoking is. The more I worried about what it was doing to me the more I smoked to calm my nerves. When I felt alone after my divorce cigarettes were my friend.I haven’t touched one for 18 years but I’m not clean winded the way I was at one time. My ex once said he thought nicotine was the most addictive substance on the planet and I agree with him. It’s oh so easy to get someone addicted. And vapes will be as bad.

Grantanow Fri 11-Apr-25 18:16:39

What has 'God' got to do with it?

Allira Fri 11-Apr-25 17:36:58

100 million people worldwide must have chosen Mammon over God because they work in the tobacco industry.

No, I don't approve of smoking and that was probably the best thing that Tony Blair did, banning smoking in public venues.

Some smokers will find it incredibly difficult to stop. Vapes aren't the answer imo.

However, anything which helps all to reduce the harm caused by tobacco and the additives used in the production of cigarettes will help those who are addicted and find it difficult to give up.

Holier than thou attitudes won't help those who would like to cease smoking.

mrsmeldrew Fri 11-Apr-25 17:27:59

What is there to admire about Penny Mordant at the Coronation? OK she held a big sword for a while. AMAZING!

Totally unethical to work for a Tobacco company "Harm Reduction" My Arse!

Allira Fri 11-Apr-25 17:17:09

MayBee70

lixy

Good for her - at least she isn’t head of advertising.

She has a calm, logical brain and so will be good at finding ways of reducing harm to those who are unfortunately addicted to nicotine. I hope her role encompasses advising on reducing the impact of the tobacco monocultures on the environment too.

Sorry you are disappointed but there are positives too.

There are no positives in smoking. None. Absolutely none…

Well, try telling that to those who are addicted.

There are no positives to many drugs but addicts are not helped by people telling them that.

MayBee70 Fri 11-Apr-25 15:47:54

lixy

Good for her - at least she isn’t head of advertising.

She has a calm, logical brain and so will be good at finding ways of reducing harm to those who are unfortunately addicted to nicotine. I hope her role encompasses advising on reducing the impact of the tobacco monocultures on the environment too.

Sorry you are disappointed but there are positives too.

There are no positives in smoking. None. Absolutely none…

Allira Fri 11-Apr-25 15:12:55

There is so much hypocrisy regarding the tobacco industry, isn't there.

Many years ago, people I know were tobacco farmers. When tobacco farming was banned where they live, did their Government ban the import of tobacco and cigarettes? No, of course not, it continues to this day.
New Zealand, incidentally, is an exporter of tobacco and tobacco products.

God and Mammon I really don't think it is me that is naïve.

MayBee70 Fri 11-Apr-25 14:37:46

Thatcher made a fortune from the tobacco industry selling cigarettes to third world countries after she left office sad.

Allira Fri 11-Apr-25 13:58:38

The advertising and promotion of tobacco products has been banned in the UK for many years.

Caleo Fri 11-Apr-25 13:54:56

Easybee, you miss the point that BAT promotes its product, as it would do. You are free to smoke or vape as much as you choose. However it is evil to promote smoking to people who don't choose wisely. Mordaunt's wages are paid to her by people who make and sell as many fags as they can.

Allira Fri 11-Apr-25 13:49:03

eazybee

Caleo, what a prig you are.
I wasn't aware God forbade smoking.

There is such hypocrisy about the tobacco industry by governments worldwide.

The revenue for governments from the tobacco industry is too great for them to take stringent action.