Cancer Research: shabby propaganda speaks volumes about tobacco control
Friday, February 27, 2015 at 0:01 Talking of risible and ridiculous (see previous post), Cancer Research UK has just scaled new heights.
According to the headline of a CRUK press release embargoed until a few minutes ago, 'Half a million children predicted to die from smoking as MPs head toward a vote on standard cig packs'.
The implication is that half a million children will die from smoking but standardised packaging could reduce that catastrophic loss of life in the under 18 age group.
Needless to say the headline is a crude and inaccurate sleight of hand:
Around 500,000 children will die from smoking when they are adults [my emphasis] unless more is done to cut smoking rates according to new Cancer Research UK figures released today (Friday).
Based on current smoking rates Cancer Research UK estimates that of today’s 12 million under 16 year olds, 2.7 million will become smokers as young adults. This could lead to around half a million smoking related deaths unless rates fall.
This shocking statistic has prompted the charity to renew its call for MPs to back the introduction of plain, standardised tobacco packaging when they vote on the issue in the coming weeks.
See what they've done?
To claim, in a eye-catching headline, that half a million children will die of smoking when they are really talking about adults, most of whom will live well into their sixties, seventies and even eighties, is pretty sick.
Forget the "shocking statistic". What's shocking is the depth to which the tobacco control industry will sink to force through a policy that an overwhelming majority of people have opposed in not one but two public consultations.
I'll be interested to see how much coverage this shabby piece of propaganda gets. In the meantime here's Forest's response, issued yesterday:
Campaigners urge government to postpone introduction of plain packaging
Campaigners have urged the government to postpone the introduction of plain packaging of tobacco until it has assessed the impact of the tobacco display ban and larger health warnings.
Responding to new figures from Cancer Research UK which claims "around 500,000 children will die from smoking when they are adults unless more is done to cut smoking rates", Simon Clark, director of the smokers' group Forest which runs the Hands Off Our Packs campaign, said:
"There's no evidence plain packaging will reduce youth smoking rates. Packaging isn't responsible for children smoking. It's mostly peer pressure, the influence of family members or the fact that some children will always want to experiment or rebel.
"Ninety-nine per cent of responses to last year's public consultation on plain packaging opposed the measure. That included retailers, unions and members of the public.
"The real scandal is the fact that the government is pressing ahead with a policy that has been rejected by an overwhelming majority of respondents to its own consultation.
"We urge the government to wait until it can assess the impact of the display ban, which is still being implemented, and larger health warnings which are being introduced next year as part of the European Union's revised Tobacco Products Directive."
Update: Via Dick Puddlecote and Guido Fawkes I have just learned that CRUK's "head lobbyist" earns £230k a year. Nice.
Update: CRUK's child-centred propaganda appears to have bombed. The only national media that appear to have covered the story are i, the condensed version of the Independent, and the Express.
Reader Comments (6)
2.7 million will smoke and 500,000 will die from smoking therefore fewer than 1 in 5 will die from smoking.
But -- ASH and many others assure us that 1/2 of all smokers die from smoking - which is it?
Is someone telling porkies or does the Tobacco Control Industry make it all up for effect?
Once again tobacco control fear mongering over factual reportage. This propaganda in lieu of facts must be exposed. Tobacco control wants to eradicate smoking and they want to do it yesterday. Therefore any and all lies and manipulations of data are acceptable. In addition to trying to implement plain packs (I suspect they are more afraid of losing the battle than implementing plain packs) they are starting to move toward comprehensive outdoor bans. That draconian ban must also be soundly rejected.
2.7 from 12 is 22.5%, which is unrealistic. Nothing like 22.5 % of these children will be smoking in their 40s and 50s (when it becomes risky). Current smoking prevalence is around 19 or 20% and has been steadily falling and smoking prevalence is heavily weighted towards people in their 20s. Giving up before 30 means negligible excess risk.
I am an historic child smoker, now a grandmother, and can absolutely 100% testify that these smokerphobic bullies and salary spongers couldn't care less about children today or yesterday. They use children as human shields to attack historic child smokers, now adults, who they despise because we are not dead and we won't quit.
I wonder if Cameron will regret allowing Labour to make policy when he loses the election. #WeSmokeWeVote and we have had enough of being pushed around by these thugs.
No one voted Tory in 2010 to get Labour but there we are. That's what we have.
They're preaching to the choir. So are we. Sad that their choir is tone deaf, and that there are more of them.
If propaganda packaging has the effect on teenage smoking rates, that it did in Australia, then the number of teenagers taking up smoking will increase, as this is what happened in Australia, although the anti-smoker zealots have consistently lied about this fact.
The "big scary number" propaganda, constantly put out by those in tobacco control, is failing to have any impact. Its a case of being exaggerated and false, for so long now, that people aren't listening any more. Only this last week there was another "big scary number" story, pushed by the media on behalf of the zealots, saying that now its two thirds of smokers that are going to die of smoking related disease, blah blah blah.
Tobacco control have become "The Boy Who Cried Wolf", they've lied so much, for so long, that nothing that comes from them is seen as credible any more.