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Tobacco industry is lobbying MEPs 'all the time'

Labour’s Phil Prendergast has said lobby groups are courting MEPs, hoping to encourage them to dilute directives that would be harmful to the industry.

LABOUR MEP PHIL Prendergast has said that tobacco industry is lobbying MEPs all the time to influence people on committees, hoping to encourage them to dilute directives that would be harmful to the industry.

In an interview with Karen Coleman for EP radio, she said that lobby groups are approaching MEPs and their staff, hoping to “have an input” and reminding them how much tobacco means to the economy and to the jobs market.

I know that they are doing this all of the time, meeting all other MEPs and sometimes meeting newer MEPs, because there’s new MEPs coming and going all the time in the parliament, and trying to get a foothold where they can influence people on committees whose committees then make amendments that maybe would dilute a directive that would see how harmful the tobacco industry is. They’re trying to all the time dilute that on the basis that they’re doing something good for the person’s country or perhaps even a party.

Rachel Foley of the Irish Cancer Society said that the organisation was “not surprised” to hear that this was happening in Europe as proposed legislation would mean the industry would” have less freedom to manipulate smokers and to encourage young people to start smoking”.

“The health lobby is very strong as well though, and the majority of people would support legislation aimed at protecting children’s health,” she said.

John Mallon, spokesperson for the smokers rights group Forest Éireann told TheJournal.ie that as the tobacco industry collects taxes on behalf of the government, it is to be expected that lobbying would take place.

“I have no doubt that the Irish Cancer Society in Europe are also lobbying the same people,” he said.

“Smoking is a health issue, but so is obesity and alcohol abuse and those are not lobbied as extensively,” Mallon added.

Read: Taoiseach, ministers criticised for “inappropriate” tobacco industry meeting>

Read: Almost 7 per cent drop shows smoking ban is working, insists Cancer Society>

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25 Comments
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    Mute Adam Power
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    Sep 11th 2013, 7:33 AM

    Welcome to the corporate world.

    Disgusting industry, disgusting habit.

    84
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    Mute Amy gaffney
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    Sep 11th 2013, 8:01 AM

    After a particularly ridiculous amount of smoking last Friday night, I haven’t been able to face a cigarette since. It’s only been 5 days but that’s normally the worst time and I haven’t had a single craving. I think I’ve finally bet them for good. I started when I was 13, like most of my friends. I think in order to work in that industry you have to ignore your morals or have no conscience about what you’re doing, so this article doesn’t surprise me in the least!

    58
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    Mute Fergal Reid
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    Sep 11th 2013, 8:47 AM

    Yeah, lobbying to have electronic cigarettes banned or restricted. Classy.

    28
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    Mute Little Jim
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    Sep 11th 2013, 10:03 AM

    Choosing Paul Kehoe as your spokesman.
    Priceless.

    3
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    Mute Dave Murray
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    Sep 11th 2013, 8:35 AM

    …and who’d have thought Bill O’Herlihy would be one of the main tobacco lobbyists in all this.

    It’s a strange world.

    25
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    Mute William Grogan
    Favourite William Grogan
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    Sep 11th 2013, 11:23 AM

    Some people will sell their soul for a few grand.

    7
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    Mute IgotAheadRush
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    Sep 11th 2013, 8:13 AM

    How are these people allowed to do this, seriously. They are literally making extremely addictive products that will kill you, and are making lots and lots of money off it, all the while trying to push their agendas politicians and the people, these people are sc*m

    24
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    Mute Alan Burke
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    Sep 11th 2013, 9:09 AM

    The tobacco industry keeping cannabis illegal as usual.

    21
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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Sep 11th 2013, 9:08 AM

    They are not just lobbying them they are bankrolling them and their parties, and take it from a former politico the tabacco industry cash is the least of what you should be worried about. Journalists don’t mind doing stories on them cos like the church they are an easy bashing target and theres no possibility of backlash.

    This is what I was trying to say yesterday re the MEP campaign cash story…

    17
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    Mute Alan Kennedy
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    Sep 11th 2013, 9:38 AM

    Decrying lobbing is all very well, but there is a simple solution to it – ignore them.

    MEPs make the choice to meet these people. They make a choice to be influenced by them.

    16
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    Mute Emily Elephant
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    Sep 11th 2013, 10:08 AM

    ^^^ Sense.

    4
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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Sep 11th 2013, 11:30 AM

    That’s like saying ”stop moaning about your mortgage, you chose to buy a house for 350k’ when the market had no houses below 350k

    They meet with them for two reasons:

    1. So many of them can go all kinds of mental gymnastics and conflate whoring themselves to special intrests with protecting free speech and allowing a redress of complaints .

    2. They need the money to run for election because like with the MEP story yesterday Irish people say they don’t want to pay public financing so this is the only other place to get it, and they are not giving them cash for free they expect friendly laws in return.

    2
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    Mute Sexy Taoiseach
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    Sep 11th 2013, 8:01 AM

    Smoking must be nice for users just like heroin etc but like most feel good things there is side affects.

    16
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    Mute William Grogan
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    Sep 11th 2013, 11:25 AM

    I don’t think it’s “nice”. Smokers get a craving for nicotine after a few minutes and then sate the craving with a fag. It’s a bit like banging your head off a wall and then getting pleasure from stopping.

    12
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    Mute seamus mcdermott
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    Sep 11th 2013, 9:17 AM

    Other than the speed with which it works, what is the difference between tobacco and chemical WMD?
    The cost to society in terms of healthcare costs, lost productivity from smoking related illnesses and the heartbreak of losing family and friends to smoking related illnesses is beyond calculation.
    These people–and I use the term loosely–are actively conducting chemical warfare against us, and they must be stopped.

    14
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    Mute Alan Burke
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    Sep 11th 2013, 9:45 AM

    Where is your evidence?

    8
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    Mute Alan Burke
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    Sep 11th 2013, 10:57 AM

    I see the joke and reference is lost on most…..

    11
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    Mute Justin Cullinan
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    Sep 11th 2013, 12:37 PM

    Curious that cannabis, a natural herb is illegal to smoke even though in its natural form is one of the safest substances on earth. Yet you can buy cigarettes that has an endless list of diseases & a 50% chance of death from one of those diseases and you can pick up a carton anywhere you want. Interesting….

    13
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    Mute Alan Burke
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    Sep 11th 2013, 8:46 AM

    Thank you for smoking

    10
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    Mute Larry Doyle
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    Sep 11th 2013, 9:47 AM

    Did he just realise he is a politician ? This is his Job – Grow a pair,Be a man and Make a decision.

    7
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    Mute William Grogan
    Favourite William Grogan
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    Sep 11th 2013, 11:28 AM

    50% of life long smokers die from it. If there are a couple who both smoke there is a 75% chance one will die from smoking. If you know that and continue smoking you are insane.

    4
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    Mute Pat Linehan
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    Sep 11th 2013, 11:57 AM

    I have news for you. We’re all going to die at sometime.

    11
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    Mute Liam O' Leary
    Favourite Liam O' Leary
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    Sep 11th 2013, 12:25 PM

    So why not spend the remaining years of your life wheezing,coughing and stinking like shit

    9
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    Mute William Grogan
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    Sep 11th 2013, 12:54 PM

    …the approximately 14 years less of your life than a non smoker, wheezing, coughing, breathless, using a Zimmer frame, in a wheel chair, using an Oxygen mask, making do with one leg (like a friend’s father), having part of your intestine cut out and used for your Cancer destroyed Oesophagus (like my cigar smoking brother’s father in law), getting heart attacks, Angina, not to mention strokes which will leave you totally f****d etc.

    5
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    Mute Christy Brady
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    Sep 19th 2013, 9:34 PM

    That’s spot on Bill,let them cough it up,spit it out, and see will it poison da cat

    1
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