Sir, - The new Labour government in the UK has just stated its intention to introduce legislation banning all forms of tobacco advertising, including tobacco sponsorship of sport, to cut the death rate from smoking.
The Irish Cancer Society would like to call on Irish political parties to show a similar commitment to safeguarding the health of the country by stating their intention to introduce similar comprehensive legislation in Ireland if elected to government. Previous Irish governments have already banned many forms of tobacco advertising (TV, billboards, etc), showing their awareness of the dangerous effects of such promotion, particularly on young people.
The vast majority of citizens in this country must surely hope that our incoming government will demonstrate the political and moral courage of its UK counterpart by effectively banning all forms of promotion of a deadly product which kills 6,000 Irish people each year. -Yours, etc.,
Chief Executive,
Irish Cancer Society. Northumberland Road,
Dublin 4.