Tobacco giant threatens gov with legal action

Kermit.de.frog

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/tobacco-giant-issues-legal-threat-over-plain-packaging-1.2106300

One of the world’s largest tobacco firms has told the Government to immediately halt plain packaging legislation in the Dáil or face a High Court claim for damages.

JTI Ireland, owner of the Benson & Hedges and Silk Cut brands, has told Ministers James Reilly and Leo Varadkar that it will take legal action if they fail to promise by Friday that no further steps will be taken to enact the draft law (on plain packaging).

....

The firm’s legal threat to the two Ministers, which was copied to Taoiseach Enda Kenny, was issued a week ago via solicitors Arthur Cox.

Seems heavy.


Won't somebody please think of the children! their profits!

K4t

Evil giants need to be slayed.

jacksie66

This post has been deleted.

BlaasForRafa

The government should sue them back for selling products that they know kill large numbers of their customers.

lertsnim

Didn't tobacco companies try this bully boy bull**** in Australia too? They were told to piss off and ordered to pay legal costs.

degrassinoel

Stupid idea is stupid - if people want to smoke, a blank ciggie package wont stop them. Sure they cant advertise cigarettes in shops, billboards, magazines etc.. anymore anyway, that's been law for at least 10 years now.

imo it's just FG trying to score votes again with a crappy idea

Simi

lertsnim wrote: »

Didn't tobacco companies try this bully boy bull**** in Australia too? They were told to piss off and ordered to pay legal costs.

They're pulling this stunt anywhere governments try to introduce plain packaging. It was covered in John Oliver's show in-depth here http://youtu.be/6UsHHOCH4q8

The_Valeyard

Bring it on.

darkpagandeath

if only our home grown alcohol did not do this.... minimum pricing anyone ?

Ruu

I think they are just blowing smoke!

bjork

That's a drag. How many young people have been led ashtray by this company?
It's just a smokescreen for more price hikes

Just a little Samba

The TTIP makes crap like this a massive, real and scary possibility once it comes into effect.

TinkledPink

That John Oliver piece was the first thing I thought of too. Great segment. The question now is whether the government will bottle the legislation or carry on. I'm sure the last thing they want or need is more protracted legal proceedings but the tobacco lads haven't much of a leg to stand on. How can they honestly expect to prohibit the legislature of a sovereign state from enacting legislation particularly one based on public policy health grounds? Go way with ye!

The fact that the government's approach goes beyond what the EU Directive demands is no reason to stop there. Directives are about creating comparable minimum standards across the EU and Member States are more than entitled to go beyond them. I really hope Reilly carries it through as giving in to big tobacco will only reward and encourage their bullying tactics.

Roger Hassenforder

The industry's response is hardly unexpected.
Keep going O'Reilly, you're doing something right.

weisses

degrassinoel wrote: »

Stupid idea is stupid - if people want to smoke, a blank ciggie package wont stop them.

Spot on ..... Got my weed in plain packaging all the time and no issues

Roger Hassenforder

degrassinoel wrote: »

Stupid idea is stupid - if people want to smoke, a blank ciggie package wont stop them.

it actally might.
from Irish Cancer Society

"The first study of the impact of Australia’s ban compared the smokers has found that standardised pack smokers were 66% more likely to think their cigarettes were poorer quality than a year ago and were 70% more likely to say they found them less satisfying than branded pack smokers. They were also 81% more likely to have thought about quitting at least once a day during the previous week and to rate quitting as a higher priority in their lives than smokers using brand packs"

more over on Wikipedia

Ghost Train

An I the only person kind of worried the government would screw this sort of legal case up and bankrupt the country

Badly Drunk Boy

Roger Hassenforder wrote: »

it actally might.
from Irish Cancer Society

"The first study of the impact of Australia’s ban compared the smokers has found that standardised pack smokers were 66% more likely to think their cigarettes were poorer quality than a year ago and were 70% more likely to say they found them less satisfying than branded pack smokers. They were also 81% more likely to have thought about quitting at least once a day during the previous week and to rate quitting as a higher priority in their lives than smokers using brand packs"

more over on Wikipedia

Does this mean that people would be more likely to buy illegal coloured-y cigarette packs from Lithuania and Poland? :pac:

macnug

degrassinoel wrote: »

Stupid idea is stupid - if people want to smoke, a blank ciggie package wont stop them. Sure they cant advertise cigarettes in shops, billboards, magazines etc.. anymore anyway, that's been law for at least 10 years now.

imo it's just FG trying to score votes again with a crappy idea

If it wont work then why are the tobacco giants so afraid of it?

Duck's hoop

macnug wrote: »

If it wont work then why are the tobacco giants so afraid of it?

Good question. It's been very well researched. The main benefit is it becomes much, much less attractive to young people who have not already started smoking.


Funny thing is Phillip Morris and the rest argue all day that it is ineffective and will have no effect in stopping people smoking.

yumyum10

Wish they did a thing like a age card where only people have a smokers card can buy smokes and people can apply for the next year. After the year is up no smokers card, no fags. It would stop people starting.

random_guy

just watched this last night:
John Oliver
Didn't think I'd be reading about it so soon.

circadian

Ban tobacco.

Legalise weed.

Sorted.

Dravokivich

macnug wrote: »

If it wont work then why are the tobacco giants so afraid of it?

It's about trademarks and branding.

Apple won't be happy if the had to concede the iXxxxx branding they use.

Larbre34

Why wouldnt a large profitable company selling a legal product move to protect its revenues?

I dont think challenging the competence of the Oireachtas to pass legislation that is constitutional will get them anywhere though, just looking to tie it up in legal knots for years

Buona Fortuna

Roger Hassenforder wrote: »

The industry's response is hardly unexpected.
Keep going O'Reilly, you're doing something right.

By the law of averages he had to do something right anytime soon. Maybe this is it.

Buona Fortuna

Ghost Train wrote: »

An I the only person kind of worried the government would screw this sort of legal case up and bankrupt the country again

FYP

ThisRegard

BlaasForRafa wrote: »

The government should sue them back for selling products that they know kill large numbers of their customers.

The government has a contract via the HSE with Arthur Cox, the legal firm who issued the letter to the state on behalf of those cancer peddling scumbags.

renegademaster

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/tobacco-giant-issues-legal-threat-over-plain-packaging-1.2106300

Seems heavy.

Won't somebody please think of the children! their profits!

profits are all some people see, also if there's jobs in it people will also defend the companies right to flashy packaging

lertsnim wrote: »

Didn't tobacco companies try this bully boy bull**** in Australia too? They were told to piss off and ordered to pay legal costs.

TTIP

degrassinoel wrote: »

Stupid idea is stupid - if people want to smoke, a blank ciggie package wont stop them. Sure they cant advertise cigarettes in shops, billboards, magazines etc.. anymore anyway, that's been law for at least 10 years now.

imo it's just FG trying to score votes again with a crappy idea

that's grand, blank packaging it is so

dark crystal

BlaasForRafa wrote: »

The government should sue them back for selling products that they know kill large numbers of their customers.

That might work if the government didn't make huge money off these companies and their customers. But they they're more than happy to.

Grayson

random_guy wrote: »

just watched this last night:
John Oliver
Didn't think I'd be reading about it so soon.

#jeffWeCan