Cigarettes are often used as a form of currency in prisons

Public opinion is turning against smokers all over the western world which has been largely responsible for the enforcement of smoking bans in public places in the European Union and in America. Health officials are being put under pressure now to ban smoking completely in all government buildings which means that it would be illegal to smoke in prison.

Cigarettes are often used as a form of currency in prisons and so any change in smoking legislation in prisons is likely to be met with a lot of resistance from inmates.In West Virginia in America rules are going to be enforced making all prison cells completely non smoking and this means that all prisoners will have to quit smoking by March 1st 2008. There are 5,000 inmates in the prisons there and it is estimated that as a result of the prisoners being healthier there will be great savings in health care costs. It is estimated that by making these 5,000 prisoners quit smoking $40,000 a year will be saved.

Some people commented that no public money should be used to help prisoners quit smoking and that any withdrawal symptoms they experienced should be part of their punishment. In the end they will only be doing the prisoners a favour by making them unable to smoke and they are likely to come out of the prison in far better health than when they came in.

It is hoped that when the smoking prisoners finally come out that they will be so used to not smoking that they will be able to stay off the cigarettes for good. At Ukmedix News we remember a story a few months back of a woman who was so desperate to quit smoking that she wanted to be sent to prison and locked up in a cell where she could not get her hands on cigarettes.

The prison authorities refused to allow her into the prison and said that in any case she would be allowed to smoke there if she wanted to. All she needs to do now is go to West Virginia and commit a crime so that she gets locked up!