|
|
|
|
Share/Bookmark this Topic:
|
| Message |
Author |
by Darkseid
on Wed Oct 15, 2008 5:39 pm |
|
Tue Oct 14, 2008 6:24 am (PDT)
http://tinyurl. com/4lvjh9
Gardeners warned to stub it out
Oct 14 2008 By Alison Dayani
BIRMINGHAM gardeners have been using their green-fingered skills to
grow tobacco on city allotments, despite a loophole that means they
cannot smoke it.
Health watchdogs were alerted to the problem at a scrutiny council
meeting and were concerned that it was not good for people's health.
The tobacco laws mean that council tenants using allotments and
houses are legally allowed to grow tobacco but cannot prepare it to
be smoked unless they pay excise duty.
The council's health scrutiny committee chairman Coun Deirdre Alden
said: "Members were shocked to hear about tobacco being grown on
allotments as it had not occurred to us.
"Allotments are associated with growing healthy foods like
vegetables, but this is not particularly good for people's health. We
wrote to the council's allotments group to see what the rules are to
clear things up."
A legal officer for Birmingham Council said: "Tenants may grow
tobacco, but if the plants are cut and prepared so they can be smoked
the tenant is then liable for excise duty under the Tobacco Products
Regulations 2001.
"Allotment rules do not allow the used of plots for business and does
not permit any illegal or immoral use. Avoidance of excise duty would
clearly constitute an illegal act.
"Overall, allotment plots must be used mainly for growing fruit and
vegetables and, therefore, tobacco would only be permitted to occupy
a minority of the plot."
But Pro-smoking group Forest did not agree with the law.
Forest spokesman Neil Rafferty said: "If they grow tobacco to use it,
it seems rather absurd there's a law in place to prevent them from
doing that. I guess it's one of these laws that needs to be looked at
again." |
|
|
Darkseid
Smoking Lobby Sponsor
Joined: Jun 13, 2006
Posts: 1513
Location: Peoples Republik of oHEILo
|
| |
Back to top |
|
|
| |
|
by smallbird
on Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:36 pm |
|
|
|
smallbird
Enthusiastic Smoker
Joined: Jan 03, 2007
Posts: 362
|
| |
Back to top |
| |
|
by gilster
on Thu Oct 16, 2008 7:03 am |
|
Here in America I believe you can legally grow 1/10th of an Acre of Tobacco for your own use on your own property.
Council housing in the UK is pretty much government housing/or/ section 8 types of places- welfare, they don't own their property or pay the complete rental of their apartment/house, if they pay anything. |
|
|
gilster
Smoking Lobby Sponsor
Joined: Apr 19, 2006
Posts: 1205
|
| |
Back to top |
| |
|
|
All times are GMT - 5 Hours
|
