Charity concerned as Northern Ireland risks being left behind on public health

Cancer Research UK is deeply concerned that Northern Ireland may be left behind while the rest of the UK presses ahead with legislation on plain, standardised packaging of cigarettes and other tobacco products.

“We are calling on the First Minister to put the health of the people of Northern Ireland first and act with urgency to pass this LCM.” Harpal Kumar, chief executive.

If a legislative consent motion (LCM) is not passed before the completion of the passage of the Children and Families Bill through the House of Commons, Northern Ireland will not be able to join with any future UK-wide regulations to introduce standardised packaging for tobacco products.

Health groups agree that the last chance to agree on the LCM could be this Wednesday, January 22.

Dr Harpal Kumar, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, said: “We are calling on the First Minister to put the health of the people of Northern Ireland first and act with urgency to pass this LCM. Smoking prevalence in Northern Ireland is already four per cent higher than the UK average and failing to act now risks a gap in health inequalities growing in the coming years.”

Regardless of whether Northern Ireland pass the LCM, the rest of the UK will proceed. But if Northern Ireland delays and produces its own regulations at a later date they risk facing legal challenges alone from the tobacco industry.

There would also be major cross-border issues, since the Republic of Ireland is likely to pass legislation on the issue during 2014.

Smoking is an addiction that starts in childhood with seven in ten smokers starting before the age of 18, and has deadly consequences with one in two long term smokers dying of tobacco related diseases.

Harpal added: “Stripping tobacco packs of the bright colours and clever marketing gimmicks draws attention to the health warnings and reveals them as the deadly products they are. We believe standardised packaging is urgently needed to give children one less reason to start smoking.”

ENDS

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