State has to stand firm against Big Tobacco
Smoking tobacco is the biggest preventable cause of death in our society. It costs lives. About 5,200 die from cancer-related illness every year. It also costs money: both in lost productivity and through costly treatment for smoking-induced cancers.
The Irish government wants to introduce standardised packaging in order to strip cigarettes of any residual glamour. It believes this will discourage young people from taking up the habit in future. Naturally, the tobacco industry is vehemently opposed, with Japan Tobacco International (Ireland) threatening to take the Irish government to court.
In a statement issued last week, JTI (Ireland) claimed the standardised packaging had failed in Australia.
Really? The evidence suggests otherwise, although ...
