WELL THOUGHT OUT AS USUAL.....

Sir,

What a surprise that an ill-prepared enforced ban on smoking at the National Psychiatric Hospital turned into a riot with an unknown number of inmates escaping.

As usual, with the kingdom’s authorities, little thought or investigation has gone into what might happen and what steps we should take if we enforce a ‘smoking ban’. I would imagine it fairly obvious that a step to ban an addiction which mostly works as a suppressor and calmer to the general atmosphere may have disastrous effects - surely so?

I recall sweeping statements about banning smoking in the country’s prisons but whether that has been implemented yet is unknown to me, despite efforts to find out? If it were to be enforced without preparation I am quite sure any outcome would be similarly disastrous as with what happened on Tuesday/Wednesday in Manzini.

Any incarcerating facility introducing a ban must have a lengthy preceding period of preparation where both staff and inmates are educated on the positivity of quitting, the benefits to your health and wealth plus availing aids like patches, lozenges, distractions that cut the craving for nicotine. This must all be ‘part and parcel’ if there is to be a positive, problem free outcome to a smoking ban.

Did the authorities in charge of the psychiatric hospital do any investigation beforehand to see how other institutions around the world have dealt with and prepared for enforcing a smoking ban?

We all realise that health is the most important aspect of our lives but do these authorities not see that smoking (unhealthy or not!) can be the difference between a calm disposition or an aggressive, violent nature of an inmate or even the institution’s population in general?
Why do we always find out the hard way when prevailing common sense and initiative would surely see this type of scary, unnecessary incident avoided?

I am a smoker, I gave up for a number of years before it came back to haunt me so I know the anxiety of craving a cigarette as well as the complete lack of tolerance when trying to give up. 

LOOKB4ULEAP.com

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