Tobacco control Crown slips as debate ends in uproar
Thursday, October 24, 2013 at 7:57 The panel discussion organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs in Dublin last night appears to have been a riot.
Chris Snowdon, one of the speakers, tweeted:
First IEA debate in Ireland was lively. Walk outs, incredible petulance, defamation, threats to sue and continuous ad hominems. Good times.
Before the discussion even started Prof John Crown, one of Ireland's leading tobacco control activists and a member of the Senate who was also on the panel, tweeted:
Troubled to learn that tonight's event in RCPI is organised by a pro Big Tobacco apologist group.
After the event he took to Twitter again to complain:
The event in RCPI was billed as as a smoking control event. It was anything but.
Organised by Institute for Economic Affairs who are supported by tobacco. They are now targeting Ireland because we are tightening regs.
Hilariously he also tweeted:
Not usually a big umbrage person but I'm really incensed about tonight's event at RCPI. Scammed into having essentially pro-tobacco event.
Not a big umbrage person?! The man is deluded. See The Senator Crown affair (Taking Liberties, November 2012).
What happened last night was entirely predictable. Tobacco control fanatics like John Crown believe it's their way or no way.
Crown is one of the worst examples of the breed. Anyone who stands in his way gets the hair dryer treatment.
As Chris Snowdon wrote in yesterday's Irish Independent, Ireland's tobacco control policies are failing. It's time to consider options other than bans and further restrictions.
I don't know anyone who doesn't believe there should be some degree of tobacco control, whether it involves marketing, age restrictions or places where you can smoke.
To that extent we're all supporters of tobacco control.
The problem is, Prof Crown and his cronies think they've cornered that particular market and they'll fight anyone who steps on their patch.
Last night's event was called 'How to really stop people smoking'. It was meant to be a genuine debate about tobacco control.
Crown and his ilk don't do debate. They are the enemies of freedom and a liberal consensus.
More fool them.
As for complaining before, during and after the event that the IEA receive money from the tobacco industry, Crown has made himself look even more ridiculous.
It's hardly news, after all. When Crown got the invitation to take part in last night's event a simple search on Google (IEA, tobacco) would have led instantly to an Observer article (Health groups dismayed by news 'big tobacco' funded rightwing thinktanks) and this entry on the Tobacco Tactics website.
Suggesting, after the event, that he has been "scammed" is laughable.
The truth is, tobacco control activists like John Crown have been preaching to the converted for so long it probably never occurred to him that, for once, he might have to debate the policies he supports with people who know as much if not more about tobacco use than he does.
Welcome to the real world, John. Sorry you found the experience so uncomfortable.
PS. Watch this space for further reports of last night's event when they appear.
Reader Comments (3)
we're all supporters of tobacco control.
Not me.
"we're all supporters of tobacco control."
Nope, I'm with Frank D on this one. There is no need for any control beyond Common Sense (that most elusive of creatures, granted). In Germany there used to be a coin op cig machine on every street corner and it was common for parents to send their kids out to 'pull' a packet for them (the machines had drawer dispensers). And , back then, the packets were things of beauty -fair designed to turn a young female minister-to-be's girly head [/sarcasm].
I don't think those poor wee 'abused' mites sent out to buy smokes were induced to smoke at an early age by their experience, infact it probably put off a lot of them...the 'chore' of it, the having to brave the perils of fresh air, daylight (if they were teens) and walking several blocks in the cold to find a machine that stocked Daddy's brand cos Daddy was too knackered after a shirt at the Sauerkraut mine or whatever.
Dying to know who actually walked off. Please tell us?