EU Tobacco Control

Posted by Bronwen Maher on July 28, 2011 at 04:06 PM

I recently spoke ahead of events to mark World No Tobacco Day, where I called for stricter controls on the tobacco industry in Ireland and across Europe in order to help preve nt premature deaths from tobacco-related diseases.

The EU will soon revise the Tobacco Control Directive and I will be working hard with my colleagues on the Public Health Committee and public health NGOs to make sure this revision means the strongest possible controls on this powerful industry.

In Ireland, we have made much progress but more needs to be done. It is shocking that 7,000 Irish people still die from smoking related disease every year and that 90% of lung cancers are caused by smoking. More than half a century after we uncovered the link between smoking and cancer, the tobacco industry still ruthlessly exploits the developing world, especially its young, poor and uneducated, in pursuit of massive profits.

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