Insulting, sexist dinosaurs?

More from Ireland.

The Irish Cancer Society last week published a report (Women and Smoking: Time to Face the Crisis) that accused tobacco companies of "targeting" women with "elegant, feminine packaging".

Irish women, we are told, are "under siege" from firms that "are trying to reel in women by creating candy-coloured packaging, white packaging, ‘women-only’ brands, low-tar, and new, super-slim products". (See Irish Examiner report.)

We've heard it all before. Last year Cancer Research UK published its own report that accused Big Tobacco of using “pale or pastel colours” and images denoting “femininity, style, sophistication and attractiveness” to entice women to smoke.

How insulting/patronising/sexist is that?

Claire Fox, director of the Institute of Ideas and an old friend of Forest, obviously thought so because she wrote an article for the Hands Off Our Packs website that was later published in the Spectator (Freedom also comes in pink).

Over the weekend I have been in contact with someone in Ireland who holds similar views and she is currently writing her own article on the subject. She told me:

"I disagree completely with the broad premise of the ICS report. It's so weak, it's almost laughable.

"I'm an ex-smoker myself and to me this portrays women as either shallow magpies or just plain incapable of dealing with stress.

"Personally, I smoked because I enjoyed it. That was the only reason. Had a new brand come on the market wrapped in a big, red bow it would not have made any difference to my own brand preference.

"I do object to the idea that female smokers are airheads, which is what this report suggests. The [idea that] women smoke because they can't cope is also galling. Being patronised by the anti-smoking lobby is just as irritating as being patronised by the smoking lobby."