Plain packaging: the truth of the matter
Public health campaigners are looking a bit silly this morning.
On Wednesday a letter signed by representatives of ASH Scotland, British Heart Foundation Scotland, British Lung Foundation Scotland, British Medical Association Scotland, Cancer Research UK and others was published in the Scotsman:
We have to wonder what could possibly be causing the Westminster Government to drag its heels on a commitment to introduce plain, standardised packaging for tobacco products ...
Time is running out for regulations to be passed before Parliament dissolves before the May elections. To ensure sufficient time for the various parliamentary processes to be negotiated, ministers must be making preparations to vote on plain packs now. Yet still we wait for news.
In response the Scotsman has published two letters, one from me, the other from the Scottish Grocers Federation.
You can read them here: Woolly thinking (Scotsman).
Reader Comments (1)
I suspect they are aware that the Australian data has not yielded the results they claim. I also suspect they know the terms of the legislative process. I believe this is another case of tobacco control demonstrating that they have no respect for the democratic process. After all, their justification for smoking bans was based on fabricated and manipulated data and they ignore the fact that a majority supports amending the pub smoking ban. I suspect this is proof that democratic process does not fit well with totalitarian goals.