Has the tobacco office gone up in smoke?

ASH Ireland is concerned about reports indicating that the Office of Tobacco Control will be absorbed back into the Department of Health and Children as part of the restructuring of the health services.

This office was established by Health Minister Micheál Martin and has done excellent work in the tobacco control and awareness creation fields.

This is also the only element of the Public Health (Tobacco) Act, 2002, which has been implemented to date.

At a time when our European colleagues are looking at the Office of Tobacco Control as a model of good practice it beggars belief that we might actually strip it of its independence.

The fight against tobacco requires ongoing focus and determination as we are dealing with an industry which has a history of using every possible means to circumvent legislation and promote a deadly product. The only ones to benefit from such a decision would be the tobacco industry and their allies.

If we are to continue to make progress in the fight against tobacco, which kills 7,000 Irish people annually, we need to strengthen and develop organisations like the Office of Tobacco Control, not destroy them.

Dr Fenton Howell,

Chairperson,

ASH Ireland,

5, Northumberland Road,

Dublin 4.