Charities Take On “Big Tobacco” in Plain Packs Truth Drive
The Irish Cancer Society and Irish Heart Foundation are going head to head with the tobacco industry in response to the misinformation it has tried to spread about plain tobacco packaging.
Today, the charities are launching a ‘Truth Drive’ by sending all 166 TDs a sample version of the planned “plain packs” cigarette boxes. The TDs will also be sent briefing material containing the true facts on how plain packaging has worked successfully in Australia, how it will not increase smuggling and how it does not interfere with intellectual property laws’.
“Cigarette companies have been spreading misinformation to our TDs about plain packaging and threatening our sovereign Government with legal action if Ireland introduces plain packs. This is Big Tobacco at work. The deep pockets of global cigarette companies are being used in an attempt to derail this essential public health measure. We know that they have not only hired a number of large legal firms in Dublin, but that many PR companies have also been hired to bombard journalists and newsrooms in an attempt to get their misinformation published”, said Kathleen O’Meara, Head of Advocacy and Communications.
“We believe a “truth drive” is needed in the face of the tobacco industry’s opposition to this critical piece of health legislation. While we cannot match the massive money being spent by Big Tobacco on this campaign, we are doing what we can to counter the misinformation being peddled by the tobacco companies”, Ms. O’Meara continued.
The Irish Cancer Society and Irish Heart Foundation said that, in conjunction with a number of other health and children’s charities, they are fighting back.
“We are starting by sending all our TDs a mocked-up “plain pack” containing a memory stick with all the true facts about plain packaging: evidence that it is working in Australia; why plain packs discourages young people from smoking; the true facts about tobacco smuggling in Ireland and the real story about intellectual property and plain packaging,” said Mr. Chris Macey, Head of Advocacy at the Irish Heart Foundation.
Read our briefing notes on:
Read more about how plain packaging works.
The charities said the public is in favour of the introduction of plain packaging and is not impressed with the threatening tactics of Big Tobacco.
Please support this campaign and tell your local TD and public representatives to stand firm in the face of misinformation and threats by the tobacco industry. #TruthDrive #PlainPacks
