Sadly this post is NOT an April Fool.
Hundreds of thousands of pounds of public money is being spent to influence the public to support plain packaging of tobacco.
Freedom of information requests have revealed that Smokefree South West (SFSW) has budgeted over £450,000 for its Plain Packs Protect campaign.
This includes £100,398 for billboard advertisements (above), £127,685 for digital advertising, almost £100,000 for “community events”, and £141,000 for other social marketing initiatives.
Smokefree South West is funded by all 14 local Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) which are funded by central government via the NHS.
At least eight of the 20 organisations supporting Plain Packs Protect receive (or have received) public money. They include ASH, ASH Scotland, ASH Wales, Fresh (Smokefree North East), Smokefree Lincs, Tobacco Control Collaborating Centre and Tobacco Free Futures (Smokefree North West).
The Hands Off Our Packs campaign has released a press release: FoI requests reveal extent of public money being used to lobby government on plain packaging.
Here are a couple of quotes:
Hands Off Our Packs campaigner Angela Harbutt said, “£468,000 is a lot of money to be spent by just one region to lobby government to promote plain packaging. When public money is used by public bodies to lobby the public to lobby government, you have to ask what is going on."
Simon Clark, director of Forest, said, “Since its launch Plain Packs Protect has been actively promoting plain packaging online and through billboard advertisements that have sprung up all over the south west of England.
"We wondered how they could afford to pay for them. Now we know. It is scandalous that public money is being used to manipulate the result of a government consultation."
Obviously we can't rely on the mainstream media to run this story so it's over to you and the blogging community. Please download the HOOPS press release. Send it to your MP, your local newspaper and anyone who may be interested.
Dick Puddlecote has more to say here: 'Government lobbying government' confirmed in the South West.
H/T DP and everyone who submitted FoI questions on this issue. Thanks to your efforts the truth is out.
See also: Why are we paying for this? (Velvet Glove Iron Fist)