James Reilly, that paragon of health, has just announced that Ireland will be tobacco-free by 2025.
That's right, in twelve years the smoking rate will be less than five per cent, officially.
Unofficially, if Reilly remains in charge of tobacco policy, there will be a flourishing black market as consumers circumvent punitive taxation not to mention bans on menthols, slims and any other product that doesn't fit Reilly's brave new world.
Anyway, here's our response:
The smokers' group Forest Éireann has hit back at Health Minister James Reilly who says he wants Ireland to be tobacco-free by 2025.
John Mallon, spokesman for the group that represents consumers of tobacco in Ireland, said:
"It is totally unrealistic to think that Ireland will be tobacco-free in twelve years.
"Recent anti-tobacco measures such as the smoking ban, increased taxation and the display ban have done nothing to reduce smoking rates in Ireland.
"Tobacco control policies are failing yet the health minister wants to introduce even more legislation.
"He plans to introduce plain packaging when there is no credible evidence that it will deter anyone from smoking.
"He supports a Europe-wide ban on menthol cigarettes and severe restrictions on the size of roll your own pouches of tobacco. This is regulation gone mad.
"James Reilly is on a personal crusade that could do enormous harm to Ireland's status as a free, consumer-led, society.
"He should remember that tobacco is a legal product enjoyed by many adults who have no intention of quitting. If anything, they are reaching for their fags in defiance.
"The Minister has no chance of achieving his goal because the type of policies he would have to introduce will simply drive consumers from the legal to the black market.
"The loss of revenue from legal sales will be enormous, while the cost of tackling illicit trade will be prohibitive.
"A tobacco-free Ireland is a figment of Mr Reilly's imagination. It will never happen."
See: Tobacco-free Ireland? It will never happen say campaigners (Forest Eireann press release)
Reilly working towards ‘smoke-free’ Ireland by 2025 (Journal.ie),
Reilly sets target of just 5pc still smoking by 2025 (Irish Independent)