Smoking to be denormalised and Ireland to be tobacco free state by 2025?
Thursday, October 3, 2013 at 14:02 The Minister for Health in Ireland is getting a little over-excited, Calm down, dear:
A Tobacco Free Ireland by 2025! That is the overall aim of a new tobacco policy, Tobacco Free Ireland launched by Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly today.
Tobacco Free Ireland provides over 60 recommendations with the overall aim of de-normalising smoking in Irish society. The document also sets out measures to: protect children from the harms of tobacco; enforce, regulate and legislate for tobacco activities and products; educate citizens about the dangers of tobacco; assist those who smoke to stop.
The press release continues:
The Minister referred to the Healthy Ireland report which he launched in April of this year which emphasises the need for a "whole of society" and partnership approach in making Ireland healthy. Citing examples of where partnerships were already up and running in the tobacco area the Minister said:
"ASH Ireland has been working closely with local authorities in implementing smoke-free playgrounds and together they have achieved very positive results - 75% of County Councils and 60% of City Councils are now on board. Dublin City Council is currently working with the HSE in permitting HSE buildings to be utilised to erect large scale QUIT campaign banners.
"I am delighted to hear that both UCD and Trinity are considering plans to make their campuses smoke free and I would encourage other third level colleges to follow their lead. By working together we can achieve our aim of being tobacco free by 2025."
I haven't read the report yet but you can find it here.
Meanwhile Forest Eireann has responded by arguing that the denormalisation of smoking is "morally wrong".
"It is morally wrong to denormalise smoking because that means stigmatising consumers of a legal product enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of adults throughout the country.
"Smokers contribute a huge amount of money to the government through tobacco taxation. Denormalising tobacco will drive more and more people to the black market and the fringes of society.
"The smoking ban closed hundreds of pubs. It ruined many people's social lives but had very little impact on smoking rates so the idea that Ireland will be tobacco-free by 2025 is a figment of James Reilly's imagination.
"This personal crusade to denormalise tobacco and stigmatise adults who choose to smoke has got to stop. What next? Alcohol? Sugary drinks? Convenience food?"
Update: The Irish Examiner reports that Reilly would like to "substantially raise the price of tobacco every year, for the lifetime of this Government".
You've got to laugh. Ireland has an even worse problem with illicit trade than the UK, and all due to the country's ridiculously high levels of tobacco taxation. (Tobacco in Ireland is even more expensive than in Britain.)
As it happens there's a Budget coming up so we'll see what the Minister for Finance thinks of his colleague's desperate plan.
Update: RTE News has a report on Reilly's initiative here (Reilly announces plan for tobacco-free Ireland). Includes a quote from Forest Eireann.
Reader Comments (10)
Denormalisation is evil and nasty and the media need to wake up about how it deliberately stigmatises and marginalises people because fatties like Reilly don't like them.
I did a radio broadcast this morning about smoking when pregnant. One of the never smoking new mums demanded that something must be done about something she has never done, would ever do, or could possibly understand - but "everybody knows its a fact because it's in all the papers" the useful idiot said.
She then went on to say : "It's not right that some people smoke and their babies are fine when other people don't smoke and lose their babies."
Yes, the usual, selfish, addict, child-abuser nasty propaganda was thrown at mums who smoke by people frankly looking down their noses at others in a "I'm a better mum than you are because I don't smoke" manner.
And clearly they are singling out smoker mums to be. The never smoking snob - or the ex-smoker Ms Perfect (I can't remember which) said : "Now they can't lie it about either."
As Jay might have said MYOFB
Let's wait and see it happen, Reilly.
Pat Nurse: Didn't hear the broadcast, but puzzled by this comment:
"It's not right that some people smoke and their babies are fine when other people don't smoke and lose their babies."
Any idea what that means? it makes no sense to me.
One reason she gave for thinking pregnant women should be forced to quit was because they can smoke and not lose a baby - while a "healthy" non smoker mum can take care of herself, do all the right things, and lose a baby.
It's from memory not verbatim but I recall it for its irony after I had said that tragically non smokers lose babies too. You can look it up if you like and have a listen - if all of the report is on iPlayer. BBC Radio Lincolnshire, Scott Dalby Show at about 8am this morning.
After two hours sleep last night, work, and work on #Octabber's Tabbers' Tales, I haven't had much time to find it and listen again.
Well done, Pat. he was struggling to get a word in. Love the interviewers prompts , 'we all know what it does to babies', 'it's widely reported', etc. Talk about slavishness, sheesh. No wonder Politicians think they've got us all taped.
Still can't work out what that silly bat meant. Unless, of course, its that smokers should carry the cross for non smokers losing babies. Wouldn't surprise me given the level of smug righteousness the antis exude.
Dream on Reilly with your smoke free Ireland.
All this fat fuck is aiming for is to get noticed by Angela for a cushy MEP job in Brussels before his sad ass is kicked out of govt in the elections in 2 years time.
That is if he lasts that long after the shambles he's made of the health service.
And as for his aim for 20euro a pack! he may just as well endow another Quango for Smugglers.
The dirty eegit.
I think that's EXACTLY what she meant Frank J. In other words. Smokers should be hated for having healthy babies as well as hated for enduring the same tragedy as non smokers in losing a baby.
The debate was really infantile. Time is short, and I'm afraid I have no patience in listening to the well known agenda line when we all know it's bollox. I just tried to cram in as much as I could to try and tell listeners something new rather than bore them to death with the same old stuff they're told from birth.
I guess I've been smoking for about twice as long as those sanctimonious "mums" have been breathing. And they think they know it all. Young 'uns eh
Reilly is a very bitter person, is he not? He lost his mother and brother to what he maintains was smoking and, evidently, now blames everything to do with smoking for his loss. Companies, retailers, smokers, no difference, we're all to blame.
I think, incidentally, that denormalising smoking in Ireland has been going on for at least 20 years so Reilly's future vision is not denormalisation by 2025 but criminalisation of both the product and the consumer.
'I've been smoking for about twice as long as those sanctimonious "mums" have been breathing.'
Excellent line, Pat. I'll certainly use it, chase 'em with it, push them in a corner to nail the get out clause that things only "MAY" occur. Why did it happen to them and NOT me, yet? Why no research on why it hasn't happened to me? e.g. why did 96% of Doll's doctors NOT develop LC.
I genuinely believe that genetics has something to do with it but we'll never have progressive science to find out how, or to benefit both smoker and non smoker on this issue, as long as regressive politics (and revenge) drives the agenda.