Earlier today, I received a phone call from my GP’s surgery enquiring as to my “smoking status” that is whether I currently smoked or had done so in the past. I replied honestly that I did not smoke and the woman on the other end of the phone said “Good, right answer.” Now, whether I’m reading into this too much I do not know, but it seemed quite outspoken of her to suggest that by me not smoking I had got the answer ‘right’ and that had I been a smoker this answer would have been ‘wrong’
As far as I’m concerned, what business is it of the State to intrude into the private lives of its citizens and ask them such questions?
If I choose to smoke that is my business, I would go out to the shops buy a pack of cigs and a lighter and smoke happily away, however if I chose to do so, I’d be castigated every now and then by this anonymous receptionist sitting at the other end of the phone for choosing the ‘wrong’ answer. Furthermore, she stated that these smoking status requests would be made every year until I am 25!!
What next? Phonecalls checking when the last time I ate anything that the State deems ‘junkfood’
Smoking has now become Thoughtcrime.
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