Sadly I found myself wanting to cheer the survey (reported in the Herald) showing an increase from 31.1% in 2003 to 35.8%, in the number of 15 to 45 year olds who’d smoked at least once in the last year.

I dislike smoking intensely, though I envy the subversive little cells which share the vice, meeting covertly in carparks, doorways and perhaps more secret places. Their cells transcend social class, and they get the best gossip first.

The report speculates that the increase may be “backlash” against nannying government. From observation that seems to be the reason for high levels of youth smoking in rule-suffocated northern Europe. If rebellion is the reason here, I’m heartened.

H Clark’s threats to end personal access to fireworks  would be enough to send me to internet recipes for scary explosives if I were at secondary school.

As in so many other areas the anointed want to inflict collective punishments because their ideology has made punishment for actual offenders laughable, and of little deterrent value. Firework bullies and idiots inflict injury and loss on innocent third parties. They know there is a tiny risk that the ‘justice’ system will ever make them pay a meaningful price.

Rather than restore the rules we had a generation ago when such vandalism, arson and thuggery was rare, the nannies restrict the freedoms of all of us. The innocent meekly comply. The others will laugh, and find new tools for creating misery.

Is young smoking a sign of a fight back? Sad that they damage themselves, instead of getting at the nannies politically.