Call to raise cost of tobacco to cut cancer rates

Noddyholder · 04-02-2017 07:24PM #1

The Irish Cancer Society has urged the Government to follow Australia’s lead and increase the cost of smoking after the southern nation announced plans to raise the price of a packet of cigarettes to AU$40 (€28.50) by 2020.

Donal Buggy, Head of Services and Advocacy at the Irish Cancer Society said: "We need to send a strong signal that the Government is serious about reaching its target of a tobacco-free Ireland by 2025.

Nearly 3,000 cancer deaths in Ireland annually, about one in four, are caused by smoking.

Forest Ireland, a campaign group for smokers, has criticised the call to increase the cost of tobacco.

"Tobacco is a legal product and consumers shouldn't be punished or treated like lepers for exercising their right to buy or consume it."

http://www.rte.ie/news/2017/0204/850105-cancer-smoking/

Do yo think by raising the price of tobacco to 28e will put people of smoking ?

And also what's this having a tobacco free Ireland in 8 years ?

The tobacco black market is huge & with laws like this will mushroom & I cant see Ireland in 8 years being tobacco free or am I reading that wrong ?

tomwaterford · 04-02-2017 07:28PM

Surly raising the price will just make everyone buy the illegal fans instead??

Have heard of a lad selling 20K illegals a week in waterford city (200 packs at a time)

GerB40 · 04-02-2017 07:30PM

Make it affordable or illegal. Don't pretend it's about people's health.

mzungu · 04-02-2017 07:34PM

€28.50 for a packet of 20? Could backfire badly and create an even bigger black market than there is now.

L Angelo Misterioso · 04-02-2017 07:34PM

Pointless. If the Government were so concerned they'd simply ban them altogether. Too much money to be made though - that's all they care about.

eeguy · 04-02-2017 07:37PM

It would only work if they cracked down on illegal fags.

Lads are openly selling them in every market around the country and Gardai do nothing.

RasTa · 04-02-2017 07:39PM

Alcohol causes over 900 cancers in Ireland every year, with 500 deaths, according to the HSE National Cancer Control Programme - See more at:

Time to ban or raise the price of booze to €15 a pint too

04-02-2017 07:43PM

Two reasons why this wont happen

1. If it did have the desired effect people would stop smoking thus lowering tax income for govt.

2. Black market sale would go through the roof, thus lowering the govt tax income.

So there you have 2 valid reasons why...oh no... wait....

learn_more · 04-02-2017 07:44PM

What's their position on processed meats I wonder ?

The_Valeyard · 04-02-2017 07:52PM

RasTa wrote: »

Time to ban or raise the price of booze to €15 a pint too

That be REVOLUTION.

suicide_circus · 04-02-2017 07:52PM

learn_more wrote: »

What's their position on processed meats I wonder ?

.
Baloney

CalamariFritti · 04-02-2017 08:05PM

This raising of the prices is the biggest load of tosh. If they think its so dangerous why don't they ban them? They do it with cannabis. Its total hypocrisy.

As is banning things that are viewed as 'dangerous' by some. Thats a load of bollix. If we don't endanger others why can't we decide for ourselves what we want to do with ourselves?
I hate this nanny state sh1t. Its patronising. You can't do this. You cant do that. You cant think like this. You mustn't say that. Will you feck off with that please? People are fed up with being told whats correct by others. You keep pestering them and they serve you a Trump in return.

Owryan · 04-02-2017 08:07PM

Don't know anyone who quit because the fags were too expensive. They just got them off "a bloke down the street" instead.

SEPT 23 1989 · 04-02-2017 08:10PM

Money never gets in the way of addiction

Dr Crayfish · 04-02-2017 09:31PM

Life is short and then we die. Who really cares what kills us? If you didn't get cancer from smoking you'd most likely get it from something else anyway.

SEPT 23 1989 · 04-02-2017 09:46PM

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

Life is short and then we die. Who really cares what kills us? If you didn't get cancer from smoking you'd most likely get it from something else anyway.

Thats the kind of Doctors advise I need

Where is your practice?

Samuel T. Cogley · 04-02-2017 09:52PM

Smoking is great. Personally I'd like to see it banned in public but smokers should be applauded; they pay more in tax than they consume in health services and don't hang around claiming pensions and filling houses. Admittedly this is based on a study done by Philip-Morris in Czech Republic.

Cee-Jay-Cee · 04-02-2017 09:54PM

If the money genuinely went towards cancer research/care then I would be all for it but it won't so no fcuk off.

jameorahiely · 04-02-2017 10:01PM

The rate of cancer has increased since we stop letting people smoke indoors and on planes.

04-02-2017 10:07PM

The most I have paid for a pack of fags in the last 10 years is €6. You can go to Poland and bring 800 back legally and they are only €3.50 a pack.

Samuel T. Cogley · 04-02-2017 10:11PM

Deleted User wrote: »

The most I have paid for a pack of fags in the last 10 years is €6. You can go to Poland and bring 800 back legally and they are only €3.50 a pack.

Smoke them in good health.

jameorahiely · 04-02-2017 10:20PM

The rate of cancer has risen since they started rising the price of cigarettes

the 10 top things "the man"doesn't want you to know

You won't believe number 4 :eek:

B.A._Baracus · 04-02-2017 10:35PM

Michael Douglas would disagree.

(Obscure joke :pac: )

Widdershins · 04-02-2017 10:49PM

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

Life is short and then we die. Who really cares what kills us? If you didn't get cancer from smoking you'd most likely get it from something else anyway.

Yep, probably. Sometimes it seems like people forget there's more than just lung cancer.

gctest50 · 04-02-2017 10:53PM

Noddyholder wrote: »

The Irish Cancer Society has urged the Government to follow Australia’s lead and increase the cost of smoking after the southern nation announced plans to raise the price of a packet of cigarettes to AU$40 (€28.50) by 2020.

Donal Buggy, Head of Services and Advocacy at the Irish Cancer Society said: "We need to send a strong signal that the Government is serious about reaching its target of a tobacco-free Ireland by 2025.

Nearly 3,000 cancer deaths in Ireland annually, about one in four, are caused by smoking.

Forest Ireland, a campaign group for smokers, has criticised the call to increase the cost of tobacco.

"Tobacco is a legal product and consumers shouldn't be punished or treated like lepers for exercising their right to buy or consume it."

http://www.rte.ie/news/2017/0204/850105-cancer-smoking/

Do yo think by raising the price of tobacco to 28e will put people of smoking ?

And also what's this having a tobacco free Ireland in 8 years ?

The tobacco black market is huge & with laws like this will mushroom & I cant see Ireland in 8 years being tobacco free or am I reading that wrong ?

Another bloody charity making noise

pre-empting :

but but they provide nightnursing and transport volunteers and research and and

the HSE could do all that in their lunch-break while munching chips

JupiterKid · 04-02-2017 11:44PM

Cigarettes in this country are more then expensive enough as it is. Raising the price to almost €30 a pack would create an explosion in the black market and illegal activity. Own goal.

These sanctimonious health fascists piss me off. Didn't they get what they wanted with the smoking ban? Obviously not!

bodhrandude · 05-02-2017 12:05AM

Why don't they just make cigarettes healthier, put vitamin c in them or orange juice or something like that.

Tin Foil Hat · 05-02-2017 12:09AM

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Money never gets in the way of addiction

High prices can certainly add to the misery of the afflicted, though.

Spanish Eyes · 05-02-2017 12:14AM

Not very many people smoke anymore, well I don't notice it as much when out and about now.

The Irish Cancer Society is a charity, always fundraising and so on, yet they have a YUGE property on Northumberland Road that's worth a good few bob. Should go out to somewhere like Ballymount and put the proceeds to good use. LOL.

Once they've got the fags sorted, Vaping is next. Watch this space.

And no, there is a tipping point re prices, and then those who would never use smuggled dodgy fags will do so.

I heard you can ring the suppliers and they will deliver to your door!

gctest50 · 05-02-2017 12:20AM

JupiterKid wrote: »

................These sanctimonious health fascists piss me off...................

may be mistaken but you might be able to add to that :

"All of the Irish Cancer Society’s work is funded by voluntary contributions: the charity does not receive any grants.

Donal doesn’t think that’s a bad thing."

http://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/news/donegal-news/46383/Helping-cancer-patients-cope-.html

"The balance comes from Government grants 2% "

https://www.cancer.ie/about-us/who-we-are/annual-reports-accounts#sthash.bTfTSS7e.dpbs

However, figures obtained by TheJournal.ie show that the amount paid out to recipients in 2015 was in fact €1,551,775, and not the €1.8 million previously stated by the society.

http://www.thejournal.ie/irish-cancer-society-fund-closed-2543829-Jan2016/

Parachutes · 05-02-2017 12:21AM

I'd say cigarettes will be completely banned by 2050.

It seems strange that people think its okay to completely ostracize cigarettes to the point where they're almost impossible to enjoy on a regular basis just because they're bad for you. If we applied the same standard to processed food or drink for example and put in the same amount of public spending and policy would people feel the same way?

I think the dangers of smoking are completely overblown, I know people in there 70's and 80's who have smoked their entire lives who are as strong and healthy as an ox.

I say educate people and let them make their own decisions.

Call to raise cost of tobacco to cut cancer rates

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