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[Irish Medical Times] , Reilly, Catherine Plan to renew measures on tobacco, alcohol and sugar. (04 Apr 2013)

External website: http://www.imt.ie/news/latest-news/2013/04/plan-to...

The introduction of plain-packaged cigarette boxes, an end to drinks industry sponsorship of sporting events and the resurrection of his sugar tax proposal are part of Minister for Health Dr James Reilly’s plans for tackling pressing concerns such as obesity and chronic illness, he revealed at the launch of a new national health and wellbeing framework in Dublin last week.

Minister Reilly stated at the publication of ‘Healthy Ireland: A Framework for Improved Health and Wellbeing 2013-2025’, that he intended to bring a memo to Government shortly on a move towards plain-packaged cigarette boxes as an extra measure to the graphic images already in place.

Speaking to media afterwards, the Minister said he wanted Ireland to follow Australia’s lead in eliminating cigarette-box branding and including larger images relating to the ill effects of smoking.

Holding a cigarette packet from Australia, he said : “It is a plain package so there is no fancy attractiveness around this; it will have stark pictures of people damaged from health issues related to smoking and it will have a small little area at the bottom to mention the brand name.”

He was “convinced” that the tobacco industry targeted children “because in survey after survey, both here and in Europe, over 70 per cent of smokers started smoking under the age of 18”.


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