Health charities have reacted angrily to attempts by German business groups and MEPs to derail Ireland’s planned ban on branded tobacco products.
The Asthma Society of Ireland yesterday said that “children’s health is more important than tobacco profits,” following a series of lobbying letters published in the Irish Examiner.
The letters show 27 MEPs, as well as German business groups, lobbied the Taoiseach and the State to drop plain packaging tobacco plans.
The Government were warned the plans would pose a “threat” to Ireland’s finances due to increased tobacco smuggling and less taxes.
The Asthma Society said it was “dismayed” to learn that German advertising and branding groups had put pressure on the Government to abandon the plans to introduce plain tobacco packaging.
The society’s advocacy manager Niamh Kelly added: “The pressure being applied on our Government by some MEPs to reverse its decision on plain tobacco packaging, and threats to our economy being outlined by German marketing organisations, are evidence that this anticipated, offensive campaign by ‘big tobacco’ is under way.”
Fine Gael senator Catherine Noone dismissed claims by German politicians and lobby groups that the introduction of plain packaging for cigarettes would somehow damage the Irish economic recovery.
“Plain packaging in Australia has not been shown to have damaged the Australian economy.
Source: Juno McEnroe, Irish Examiner, 13/08/14
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