Hancock's half hour of fame
Tuesday, July 9, 2019 at 10:50 'Smoking must be stamped out in the UK within 11 years, according to timeline set out in ambitious new Government plan'.
That wasn't the headline I wanted to read at 23:00 last night, just as I was going to bed.
According to the Daily Mail, 'The target to make the country smoke-free by 2030 will be announced by Health Secretary Matt Hancock next week as he unveils a Green Paper looking at how prevention is better than cure.'
I do wonder if this is Hancock's attempt to leave a 'legacy' (Hancock's half hour of fame?) before he departs the Department of Health, as he might under a Boris-led government.
Then again, it doesn't really matter who the Secretary of State for Health is. Labour or Conservative, they all fall under the spell of the unelected, anti-smoking civil servants at the Department of Health.
ASH of course enjoys a hotline to the DH so I'm not surprised by the news, or that it follows a YouGov poll (commissioned by ASH) that suggested public support for the very policies the DH is now proposing in its Green Paper.
Anyway, having read the Mail's report, I sent out Forest's response.
It was picked up this morning by the Press Association and an edited comment has been reported on hundreds of news websites throughout the country including the Mail Online, Mirror Online, Metro, Sky News, ITV This Morning and many more:
Simon Clark, director of smokers' group Forest, said people have the right to light up "without being harassed to quit".
"It's not up to government to dictate people's lifestyle," he said.
We have now issued a longer statement that reads:
Campaigners have urged the government to delay the publication of plans to stub out smoking by 2030 until a new prime minister and Cabinet have been appointed.
According to leaked documents reported by the Daily Mail, the government wants to create a smoke free society within eleven years. During that time smokers will be urged to quit or switch to harm reduction products like e-cigarettes.
Simon Clark, director of Forest, said:
“It makes no sense for these proposals to be published before the appointment of a new prime minister who may want to adopt a less hectoring, more liberal style of government.
“It’s great that smokers now have the option of switching to reduced risk products like e-cigarettes but adults have every right to smoke without being forced to quit by government and anti-smoking campaigners."
He added:
“We welcome a full and frank discussion about the government’s plans to tackle smoking but it has to include all stakeholders, including adults who have made an informed choice to smoke and don’t want to quit.
“It is frankly offensive that in a so-called liberal democracy unelected civil servants are conspiring with the tobacco control industry to force adults to give up a legal habit many of them enjoy.”
See 'Forest urges government to delay plans to stub out smoking'.
Reader Comments (5)
So one minute the public health industry announces there are too many obese people in the UK and the next minute announces a plan to increase obesity rates further by the prohibition of the probably cheapest weight loss and blood pressure lowering product available.
But I guess the more sick people you create the more money there is for a public health industry.
This country needs a massive political earthquake.
Must be a joke surely. What business is it of a Tory government to tell me how to live my life. None at all.
Well it looks like the idiots in government know they are on the way out, therefore they are attempting to go hell for leather to piss the country off as they have done with their Brexit disaster. It is about time the electorate stopped buggering about and showed the government that they are just a tad upset, a good way would be for all involved in the by election coming in Wales to vote 100% for the Brexit Party. Then the thick headed torags would get the shock of their lives. Especially the remainders.
Why is anyone surprised by this? I have been warning of Govt plans AKA ASH's plan to criminalise smokers. It's always been about hate. Health was just the smoke screen. If the Tories want to lose to the Brexit Party, then they should make this announcement official. If they want to win another election, they need to distance themselves from the extremists in ASH.
Labour is already dead led by a puppet leader completely out of touch with issues that matter to most people.
One word of warning - do not think for one minute that tax will save you. That tax is already being replaced by criminal penalties for smokers and tax on other goods like junk food and sugar. Spite and hate against smokers costs everyone.
Meanwhile, it looks like ecigs are being used as the final stick to beat us with. Who didn't see that coming too.
Looks like in 2030 i'm going to prison !