I was on BBC Radio Essex this afternoon.
They wanted to talk about a ‘story’ that first appeared in September 2018 (England won't be cigarette free until after 2050).
Based on a study by Frontiers Economics, which was commissioned by Philip Morris to carry out the research, the claims were widely reported with several headlines focussing on the prediction that Bristol could 'kick the habit' as early as 2024.
That's nonsense, of course. Nevertheless, on Saturday, six months after those reports were published, the study was resuscitated and given new life. In a report described by the Mirror as an 'exclusive', readers were told:
The cigarette’s days are numbered, and the last fag to be smoked in England will be puffed in Derby in 2050, researchers have predicted.
If current quitting trends continue, today’s 7.4 million smokers will dwindle to zero in 30 years, market analysts Frontier Economics found.
But the rate at which smokers quit their filthy habit, which kills 200 people a day, varies in different areas.
Bristol is set to be the first city to quit, having no smokers by 2024, followed by York and Wokingham, Berks, in 2026.
I've no idea whether Philip Morris was behind the Mirror's 'exclusive' but, either way, the comms team lost no time exploiting it:
It’s predicted that Bristol will be the first city to have their last ever cigarette (in 2024), thoughts on this @BristolCouncil? #SmokeFreeFuture https://t.co/A9J60WtUuG pic.twitter.com/ym5APYSRBZ
— Philip Morris UK (@PhilipMorrisUK) March 25, 2019
York, Wokingham and Berkshire are set to be the next cities to #QuitSmoking in 2026, following Bristol in 2024. Think you can catch Bristol up @CityofYork, @WokinghamBC & @WestBerkshire? #SmokeFreeFuture https://t.co/A9J60WtUuG pic.twitter.com/MAWZrsjDPh
— Philip Morris UK (@PhilipMorrisUK) March 25, 2019
According to @FrontierEcon the last cigarette to EVER be smoked in England, will be in Derby 2050. Think you can bring it any closer @DerbyCC? #SmokeFreeFuture https://t.co/A9J60WtUuG
— Philip Morris UK (@PhilipMorrisUK) March 25, 2019
Other councils Philip Morris has been tweeting today include Portsmouth, Reading, Blackpool, Southampton, Milton Keynes and East Riding.
The aim, clearly, is to nudge local authorities to implement more 'smoke free' policies with a view to stubbing out smoking harder and faster.
I'm sure you have your own views on that. I'll keep mine to myself for now, although the word 'shameless' comes to mind.
In the meantime I can't wait for the opportunity to test the forecast that Bristol will have 'no smokers by 2024'.
That should be fun. Perhaps PM's comms team would like to join us.
PS. This morning I was on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. Subject: eating, drinking and smoking in cars.
They put me head-to-head with Perry, a driving instructor, who spoke (unsurprisingly) just like a driving instructor.
If Perry had his way we'd keep both hands on the wheel at all times and not allow ourselves to be distracted by anything, not even the radio.
On the question of smoking, I pointed out that research suggests it is well down the list of things that are said to distract drivers and, unlike the use of mobile phones, there is no record of smoking having been responsible for any accidents.
Pushed (by me) to produce evidence that smoking has been responsible for a single accident, Perry admitted there isn't any but justified his concern by pointing out that drivers are not allowed to smoke during their driving test.
I'm not sure that was a winning argument. After all, if that's the bar we'd never listen to the radio, change a CD, chat to fellow passengers or carry children.
Then again, I think Perry would be quite happy with that.