Sinn Féin MEP Martina Anderson has described the British Government’s U-turn on its previous position not to introduce plain packaging for tobacco products as a welcome development and defeat for the “well-oiled” tobacco industry lobbying machine.
Ms Anderson said the decision was a “major reversal” for the industry.
She said: “I condemned the decision by the British government to halt plans to introduce ‘plain packaging’ for tobacco products as a disgrace at the time. I now warmly welcome its U-turn and intention to now introduce legislation bringing in plain packaging before the next Westminster election.
“The packet is one of the last marketing devices in Europe left for the tobacco industry to exploit the opportunity to attract new young smokers of its products. With 94% of smokers taking up the deadly habit before the age of 25, it is essential that governments across the world ensure that this ‘silent salesman’ is restricted as much as possible.
“700,000 people die in Europe every year from tobacco related diseases, 2300 of them in the North of Ireland causing hurt and devastation for hundreds of thousands of families.
“All EU countries are signatories to the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention for Tobacco Control which obliges governments to ensure that public health policies are protected from undue influence from tobacco industry lobbying.”
Ms Anderson concluded;It is a welcome development that the British government has finally decided to honour this commitment.” CRÍOCH
Tags: