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Talking to The Enemy — 12 Comments

  1. Well you can rest assured that having spent billions of taxpayers money and wiped untold billions off the economy in both Ireland and the UK, the Tobacco Control Industry will look at their failure to get everybody to quit smoking and say: "This doesn't seem to be working – we need more of the same, but even more draconian".

    Because they think that they have in their gift the power to change human nature. They cannot get their heads round the fact that people don't in reality smoke because they are hopeless addicts, they smoke because they actually rather enjoy smoking. That fact doesn't fit in with their perception. They can't imagine anybody enjoying what is anathema to their doctrinaire ideology. And therein lies the chasm between TCI and smokers, and I fear ne'er the twain shall meet.

    • I can just hear them now – "we need to renew our efforts" or "easing restrictions would send out the wrong message".  Even from their own standpoint they must realise they are doing more harm than good?

  2. I think it's time for the patches GD. Or electronic rechargeable cigs. They're all the rage at the moment. Not sure if they have them in pipe form yet.

    • Hah!

      Patches?  They have failure rate somewhere around 98% after a year.  Waste of good money.

      Electric yokes?  Have them but prefer the pipe.

      Finally … why should I give up something I enjoy just because of some fascist control freaks?

  3. You shouldn't and you won't. 
    Did I tell you I have the odd one or ten of a Saturday night with the girls?
    They're all on the electronic vapour ones now.. constantly telling me, to join um that I'm not cool. 
    The peer pressure is relenting. 

    Reading this earlier..

    http://www.broadsheet.ie/2013/05/23/they-see-you-rolling/

    They're on about banning the rollies stuff now huh? Not as much revenue?

     

    • The EU are also trying to ban the electronic ones, but for the moment have backed down.  Is it mere coincidence that they want to ban every cessation method except those produced by the pharmaceutical industry?  Think about it….

      • Found this research paper.  Fascinating read if you have the time GD..

        http://corporateeurope.org/sites/default/files/28_march_2012_divideconquer.pdf

        P31 'Conservative estimates suggest that the entire pharmaceutical industry lobby is spending 40 million euros to influence EU affairs annually.58 This report demonstrates that that figure could be as high as 91 million euros after considering the underreporting stemming from imprecise, nontransparent and even absent declarations in the EU Transparency Register.'

        P24 & 25 might be of particular interest to you GD.
        Shocking that you have EU officials going working for Big Pharma upon leaving their public posts.
         

        'This revolving door case sees a seasoned EU official with over 10 years of experience in DG SANCO53 move to provide services for the pharmaceutical industry within months of leaving his public post. 
        Staff from Edelman The Center contacted DG SANCO in 2010 concerning a forthcoming tender for the "organisation of a communication campaign aimed at encouraging smoking cessation" (Edelman, 2010). Although smoking may seem unrelated to medicines, Edelman’s client, Pfizer, has an interest in people "kicking the habit". Why? Pfizer sells a product to help people quit smoking….

         

         

         

        • Worth reading all right!

          That of course does not make any mention of the bribes and corruption at local government level.  What's the betting that Reilly has been told to come down heavy on smokers otherwise they'll pull their manufacturing plants from Ireland?

      • The antis are always on about the influence of 'big tobacco' but we never hear about 'big pharma' who finance their efforts! and at least one of whose smoking cessation products have been linked with suicide and mental problems and most don't work at all. The e cigs are handy in non smoking places but I prefer the real things myself.

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