'Smokers' manifesto' tour arrives in Dublin

Wed 2nd November, 2011

Forest Eireann's 'Smokers' Manifesto' tour arrived in Dublin yesterday.

Spokesman John Mallon featured on RTE Radio 1 where he was interviewed on Today with Pat Kenny. According to RTE:

"On the 29th March 2004 the Irish smoking ban came into force. If you’ll remember the lead up to it was somewhat tense as there was concern that it wouldn’t be adhered to, that people would disregard it and that it would be very difficult to enforce.

"Those fears were to be allayed in the following months and years as the smoking ban was to become a success. People who wanted to smoke in pubs gathered outside, had a smoke and then went back inside. Non smokers weren’t subject to smoke in the office, or in restaurants.

"However, John Mallon of pro smokers group Forest Eireann says that smokers have subsequently been treated like second class citizens, and the anti-smoking movement has gone too far. He has just finished a tour of Ireland where he distributed Forest Eireann’s ‘Smokers’ Manifesto’.

"Pat was joined by John Mallon and by Luke Clancy of ASH and the Tobacco Free Research Institute."

John also appeared on Newstalk. John was on The Right Hook which describes the interview as follows:

"A champion of smokers’ rights has just completed a two-week tour of Ireland in a bid to highlight the discrimination he believe smokers face. During the tour John Mallon, spokesperson for the smokers’ group Forest Eireann, invited smokers to have their say in issues like the public smoking ban, graphic health warning and smoking in cars.

"He also distributed copies of Forest Eireann’s smokers manifesto which called on the government to treat one million adults with the respect they deserve. He said that the high price of cigarettes gave way to criminals to smuggle cigarettes. He also explained that smokers are just ordinary people who love to smoke and people should take note that they contribute 1.5 billion a year to the revenue.

"John said this is all about democracy and having the right to do what people choose to do."

Today John is being interviewed by The Morning Show on TV3. The interview is being recorded for broadcast later this week.

Source: Forest Eireann (2 November 2011)

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