Monday 31 May 2010

Bashing ASH = missing the point

Dick Puddlecote and Velvet Glove often do posts criticising the taxpayer-funded anti-smoking propaganda spewed out by ASH, but it strikes me that they are going after the wrong target.

I'd completely agree with them that what's behind it all is lobbying by providers of 'righteous' nicotine (patches, gum etc) in order to take market share from the providers of 'unrighteous' nicotine (tobacco), and that this has precious little to do with 'public health' and a lot to do with corporatism.

As a general rule, when it comes to creating false markets, encouraging government subsidies and then creating barriers to entry, the European Union is behind it - for example white asbestos removal, using windmills to generate electricity etc. I don't think that the EU has any coherent approach to any of this, apart from jumping on any bandwagon heading vaguely in the direction of 'righteousness', and if the tobacco companies upped their game and offered even bigger backhanders than Big Pharma, the pendulum may well swing in the other direction

Simply Googling the phrase European Union smoking ban produces 319,000 hits, the second one on the list being this:

EU countries urged to pass tougher anti-smoking laws.

The commission is calling for an EU-wide ban on smoking in public places by 2012. Currently all EU countries have regulations of some kind designed to protect people from second-hand smoke and its harmful effects. But the rules vary widely from country to country.

The UK and Ireland have the strictest laws - a complete ban on smoking in indoor workplaces and public places, including public restaurants and bars. Bulgaria is due to follow suit in 2010*. Greece, Italy, Malta, Sweden, Latvia, Finland, Slovenia, France and Holland have introduced smoke-free legislation that still allows special enclosed smoking rooms.

The EU is now proposing that uniform laws be drafted for all 27 countries to regulate smoking more strictly in public areas and workplaces.

Second-hand, or passive, smoke has been linked to heart disease and lung cancer. Back in 2002, some 19 000 non-smokers are thought to have died in the EU due to second-hand smoke at home or at work. Tobacco is the leading avoidable cause of death in the EU, claiming some 650 000 lives a year. One in three Europeans - about 170 million - uses tobacco.

As part of a new anti-smoking campaign, the EU is inviting people to upload videos showing how they kicked the habit. Hundreds have responded and their work can be seen on the campaign website.


Just sayin', is all.

* Update 1: Spartan in the comments informs us that the Bulgarian parliament are not playing ball for the time being. Don't worry, the EU will get its own way sooner or later.

Update 2: Dave A reminds me that the World Health Organisation (part of the United Nations) is behind this as well. Given the WHO's talent for whipping up hysteria and ordering governments to spend billions on ineffective treatments, e.g. swine flu, this all fits the pattern.

8 comments:

Spartan said...

Bulgaria isn't ... it got reversed in their parliament. Left up to owners to have smoking, non-smoking.

DaveA said...

Mark, I saw your comment from Pat Nurse on FB.

Certainly the Spanish ban is inspired by the EU. Having the EU presidency Spain wanted to present their European masters something concrete for their wasted 6 months.

The whole story is even worse than that. The "intellectual" stimulus is the World Health Organization (WHO) and their Framework Convention On Tobacco Control published in 2005. It is has been agreed by 168 countries plus the EU.

The EU adopts the framework enthusiastically and then national governments copper bottom plate the laws. So an unholy trinity of international and national busybodies and nannies.


http://www.who.int/fctc/en/

Dick Puddlecote said...

I totally agree that the EU are a major pain in the arse when it comes to pushing for anti-smoking legislation, but apart from the UK, the 5 most restrictive nations in the world are Iceland, Ireland, Canada, Australia and Norway.

As Dave A mentions, the WHO's framework is the larger immediate concern.

The problem we have over here is that CRUK and ASH second staff to the DH specifically to constantly whisper bullshit in their ears.

A perfect example is the ban on tobacco displays, which was passed entirely due to ASH deceit and CRUK pressure.

The EU will be the major problem in the future unless we leave - the WHO and ASH (smokefree coalition) are the problem right now IMHO.

Mark Wadsworth said...

Sp, DA, see updates.

DP, you're the expert on these matters. Maybe the WHO is worse, but that entails us leaving the UN which is even less likely than us leaving the EU. As to ASH and DH, it's the DH that funds ASH in the first place, which is easily fixed :-)

James Higham said...

Let's visit ASH - I'll take my pipe.

DaveA said...

Theoretically there is no reason why the UK/EU could not withdraw from the FCTC and can still be a member of he UN and indeed the WHO. I believe chief bansturbator Sir Liam Donaldson will be popping up there soon. Just diplomatically the pygmies at the Foreign Office would not let us.

To all you non smokers and how succesful the WHO has been worldwide, if you drink alcohol you have the same denormalisation to look forward to. The WHO now have the equivalent of the Tobacco Framework for alcohol.

Enjoy:

"The level of alcohol-related harm is too great to let these challenges prevent the taking of effective policy measures. We also know that many alcohol-related problems endanger or harm not just the person who drinks but also others: the unborn child, the drinker’s family, friends and work colleagues, the innocent victims of a drink–driver and the community
as a whole. These negative effects on people other than the drinker are additional very strong arguments for concerted action to reduce alcohol-related harm."

"1.Alcohol drinking – prevention and control – legislation – adverse effects
2.Alcohol-related disorders – prevention and control 3.Public policy 4.Europe"

http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/79396/E88335.pdf

Mark Wadsworth said...

DaveA, indeed.

Two years ago they declared collective punishment for drinkers.

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