Wednesday 15 June 2011

The future's orange

Dutch anti-smoking campaigner tries to imagine the world without him


Oh dear, this is terribly unfortunate. From Radio Netherlands...

Health minister scraps anti-smoking lobby subsidy

Meanwhile, the government has decided to cut the 2.7 million euro subsidy to the Dutch anti-smoking lobby Stivoro as of 2013 writes Trouw. In addition, most of the support for anti-smoking campaigns will be scrapped in 2012. Health Minister Edith Schippers thinks the campaigns are not effective and says she is more concerned with the government’s reputation as a nanny state.

However, the International Tobacco Policy Evaluation Project (ITC) believes Stivoro is an essential source of objective information on smoking and tobacco addiction. The ITC is investigating whether the Netherlands is meeting its obligations after the country signed a World Health Organisation convention in 2005, in which countries promised to discourage smoking.

The organisation accuses the minister of being too eager to please the tobacco lobby. The government has declined to raise taxes on cigarettes, reduce the number of sales points or discourage smoking by printing photos of the effects of smoking on cigarette packets. In fact, the first thing this minister did when the current government came into power was to repeal smoking restrictions in small pubs. Rather strange for a health minister, don’t you think?

Not really, no. Smoking bans are not, and never have been a health issue. It's good to see the Dutch reclaiming their traditions of liberalism and tolerance. Well done Dutch Liberals. Shame on you, British Tories and 'Liberals'.

Imagine living in a country where politicians are concerned about getting a reputation for being nannies. Flight from the UK start at £19 plus taxes. While there you might consider travelling over the border to Belgium which has had no government for a year.

A drink, I think. If you see me out tonight, don't come too close because I might accidentally burst your eardrums with my laughter.

11 comments:

Large Melot Please said...

We are all Dutch today.

Anonymous said...

Who's this ITC mob? another set of taxpayer funded parasites, no doubt. So what if the Dutch signed a 'convention'? It's no more than a treaty and can be ignored any time they want and by anybody else.

I love the way the antis refer to it as 'Law'. Well, contrary to their infantile belief, it can be ditched at any time. Sad, innit.

Rob said...

Considering how bad the U.S. is getting, I may have to emigrate to the Netherlands!

Anonymous said...

About time a European Gov woke up. What is needed is a domino effect - big or small. Isn't it always the case that 'corruption' spreads outwards, uninterrupted, until it can spread no further, and then falls apart from the inside? Has that not been the case with Global Warming?

But the CORRUPTION is so endemic that only a total cleaning of the Aegean Stables will suffice. Do we have a Hercules?

Fredrik Eich said...

Chris, I enjoyed your phone in chat on LBC the other day!
Have you seen this yet?
Clean Indoor Air Regulation and Incidence of Hospital Admissions for Acute Coronary Syndrome in Kanawha County, West Virginia

Anonymous said...

Smoking a joint outside the cafe because it has tobacco in it ?
Ridiculous.

Anonymous said...

@Junican

When it happens (which it surely will) the UK will probably be the last domino to fall.

Anonymous said...

These people are not 'nannies', they are sadistic bullies!!

Gary K.

Angry Exile said...

Let's hope it's catching.

Antipholus Papps said...

@Gary K:

They are self-righteous santimonious fucks with a truly unworthy sense of entitlement! Good call!

Antipholus Papps said...

Sanctimonious...ow