They've Banned Smoking; Now They Want to Ban Patch and Gum

O Canada, oh no you didn't.

First cigarettes. Now nicotine patches.

Alberta jail guards want the provincial government to outlaw nicotine patches, claiming ingenious inmates are smoking the scrapings from them.

Since provincial prisons went smoke-free at the end of September, 21 guards have filed Workers' Compensation claims, saying smoke from the makeshift cigarettes is making them sick.

"In a perfect world, I think inmates should have them, but at the end of the day, they're hurting our workers," said Alberta Union of Provincial Employees president Dan MacLennan.

[Ellipsis]

While he applauded the government's smoking ban, MacLennan said it needs to go further.

"Now we need a patch ban," he said. "Whenever it comes to smoking, they err on the side of caution."

Solicitor General Harvey Cenaiko said the union has asked him to ban nicotine patches and gum.

More here.