Plan of Turning Ireland Tobacco-free by 2025 Faces Criticism

The Irish health minister, Dr. James Reilly, aims at making Ireland tobacco-free and restricting the population of tobacco users to less than 5 percent by 2025.

The Minister aims to ban smoking in all educational institutions to force youngsters to give up the habit of smoking. Presently, around 22 percent of the Irish population comprising of 15-year-olds and above smokes.

Smoking is a major cause of deaths in Ireland, according to the Irish Cancer Society.

"Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in Ireland. Each year at least 5,200 people die from diseases caused by tobacco use. This represents almost one in five of all deaths," Dr. Reilly said in a BBC report.

An earlier legislation banning smoking in work places saw a 97 per cent success rate. The prohibition included pubs and restaurants. A new legislation prohibits smoking in cars in the presence of minors. People violating the law will be fined on the spot.

 This plan of "denormalising" tobacco in Ireland includes increasing the cost of tobacco products, which is likely to be countered by the tobacco industry.

The proposal of turning Ireland into a smoke-free state within 12 years has faced criticism by a smokers' group Forest Éireann.

 "Personal crusade to denormalise tobacco and stigmatise adults who choose to smoke has got to stop What next? Alcohol? Sugary drinks? Convenience food?", said the spokesman for the group, John Mallon, according to an Irish Times report.

Mallon also said that this step is morally wrong and it would block a huge source of government's income coming from tobacco consumers, as per a RTÉ report.

"Smokers contribute a huge amount of money to the Government through tobacco taxation. Denormalising tobacco will drive more and more people to the black market and the fringes of society."