Victims

Victims of anti-smoking policies.

This is a list of people who have suffered from rules and restrictions put in place to prevent people from smoking, especially indoors.

Contrast with the purported victims of SHS for whom the rules were put in place with no evidence for SHS to back them up.

Named individuals

Lorraine Adolph

December 2008, Lorraine, 68, - a patient at Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, Canada, went out in sub-zero temperatures to have a cigarette. She was found one week later, frozen to death[1], 400 meters[2] from the building.

David Arnett

David, 12, committed suicide rather than admit to his parents he'd been smoking. After smelling smoke on him and finding cigarettes, his form tutor gave him 24 hours to own up to his parents[3] before the school contacted them. David strangled himself with his school tie while his father was preparing dinner[4].

Elena Brennan

Shortly after 6am on 13th July 2011, Elena Brennan was discovered by a passing private ambulance driver dead, still in her dressing gown, from massive head injury she sustained after falling 20 feet onto a concrete ramp beneath her second storey flat (3rd floor in the US)[5]. The inquest found that she'd fallen from her window because she had been leaning out of the window to have a cigarette[6].

Barry Collen

January 2008, Barry Collen (74) was found frozen to death at 4.30am at his care home in Winnipeg, Canada, after going outside in -20°C temperatures at 1am for a cigarette[7][8]

"He was banned from the smoking room, for smoking too much.[9]"

Jane O'Grady

In October 2011, it was reported that Ms O'Grady, a 97 year old, was threatened with eviction from her independent living facility. Her smoking wasn't a problem when she moved in in 2005[10], but in 2008, The Lakes at Pointe West implemented a no-smoking policy.

In a letter to the media in Feb 2012, The Lakes stated they wanted her to either stop smoking, or move to accomodation where she can be given mobility assistance to smoke outside because of the other 197 residents. Ms O'Grady wants neither.[11][12]

Jane died 20th Feb 2012[13]

Miles Patterson

January 2008, Miles, 65, a resident of Manitoulin Lodge in Gore Bay, Ontario, Canada was found suffering from hypothermia after he'd gone outside for a cigarette "sometime after the established smoking period"[14]. He later died after being admitted to hospital.

Richard Read

On the 29th October 2011, Richard Read, 61, suffered severe burns, and subsequently died, after he accidentally fumbled with the Zippo lighting his pipe[15] while sitting in his parked car outside of his home. The dropped zippo caused the car to catch alight and subsequently explode.

It appears he had a stroke[16].

Stacey Solomon

Stacey is an English singer, television presenter and reality TV star, who rose to fame during the sixth series of X-Factor. She was photographed smoking when she was seven months pregnant, even though she was trying to give up. As a result FoxyBingo sacked her as a judge on their 'Foxy Mum' panel, and dropped her from their shortlist for Celeb Mum of the Year 2012[17][archive][18]

Lawrence Walker

In June 2008, taxman Lawrence Walker committed suicide by jumping off cliffs in Newquay after the smoking ban left him a virtual recluse[19].

Unnamed people or groups

Female Backpacker, Scotland

2004, a female backpacker was found dead at 3am after falling off the roof of a hostel[20]. One theory is that she climbed on to the flat roof of the no-smoking Edinburgh Backpackers hostel for a cigarette.

Female Students

September 2011, on-campus students University of Montana must go to the edge of the campus to have a cigarette. Female students have been discouraged from walking across campus alone at night[21] for their own safety. Previously ashtrays were placed 25 feet away from entrances[22] but they were all moved to the edge of the campus as part of the new policy.

Scottish care home residents

February 2012, Canmore Lodge, Dunfermline bans smoking; spokesman for the care home said: “Canmore Lodge can confirm that they will be closing the smoking room at the home as the health and wellbeing of our residents is always our utmost priority." Instead they will have to use, in winter as well as summer what amounts to, as one relative called it "basically a bus shelter."[23]

Unnamed Barmaid

A bar manager blames the smoking ban for one of his staff being raped while going outside for a cigarette[24]. Councilman Bill Sova says it's inappropriate to blame the ban. "It should be Calantino's [manger's] responsibility to ensure his employees and patrons are safe."

Unnamed Hospital Patient

One evening in December 2000, a 54 year old patient at Seven Oaks General Hospital in Winnipeg was trapped outside in -30°C temperatures in only her hospital gown, when the door locked behind her and she couldn't find another way in[25]. She was found, comatose, an hour later suffering from hypothermia and frostbite to her hands and feet. Four fingers on her right hand had to be amputated. She was left with limited mobility in her left hand.

Unnamed Tourist

Around 11pm on 2nd April 2010, a 25 yr old German Tourist was dragged from the street and raped in an alleyway while having a cigarette outside a Covent Garden restaurant.[26][27]