The smoking police go crazy...

Get this...now actors can't smoke on stage as part of a play!

THE Scottish Executive was today accused of artistic censorship after it refused to make actors on stage exempt from the new smoking ban.

Tory MSP Brian Monteith claimed the blanket ban on smoking in public places was more to do with political correctness than public health.

But health minister Andy Kerr insisted theatre audiences and staff deserved protection from passive smoking.

And another supporter of the bill accused the Tories of using artistic freedom as a smokescreen.

Mr Monteith raised his concerns as MSPs held their final debate on the smoking ban, which is expected to come into force next spring.

He accused the Executive of wanting to censor the theatre because the ban would extend to actors smoking cigarettes on stage as part of a play.

Mr Monteith claimed the motive for such a ban was "quite detached from genuine concern for public health".

He said a similar ban in India had been extended to films. "All Indian films have taken out any scene involving smoking - and they are going back to extricate any smoking scenes from old movies.

"The political correctness of people who wish to impose this censorship has nothing to do with public health."

This is most probably coming to Canada....