Tobacco giantslayer supports Irish ban

THE insider who blew the whistle on the tobacco industry has come out in favour of the Irish smoking ban.

Jeffrey Wigand, the subject of the 1999 Hollywood film the Insider, said he believed the ban would save lives. “Ireland has shown an enormous leadership role in making every place smoke-free, including the pubs,” he said.

Mr Wigand, 60, was hired in 1989 by the US tobacco giant, Brown & Williamson (B&W) on a $300,000 salary to develop safer cigarettes. However, the project was dropped and he was fired in 1993.

Despite being bound by a lifelong confidentiality agreement with B&W which provided medical care for his family, Mr Wigand spoke out. He demonstrated the company knew nicotine was an addictive substance - and that it was deliberately putting ammonia in cigarettes to speed up the delivery of nicotine to the brain.

He was sued by B&W, his marriage fell apart and he received death threats. But his revelations eventually led to a $246 billion settlement by the tobacco industry in a case for health-related damages brought by 50 US states.

Mr Wigand believes the Irish ban on smoking is an example of government regulating for the greater good.

“People deserve a harm-free environment and as long as you have secondhand smoke around, you’re killing innocent people,” he said.

“Up to 90% of people smoking say they want to give up. This is a way of helping them,” he said.

Mr Wigand said the tobacco industry had deliberately spread confusion about the harmful effects of passive smoking by using other groups.

Mr Wigand now works with a non- profit foundation, Smoke Free Kids, and travels abroad to advise governments on anti-smoking measures.