Sheehan aims for tobacco free society by 2030

Published on: 27 January 2020


Fianna Fáil General Election Candidate in Wexford, Cllr Michael Sheehan has said that this party will push for a tobacco-free society by the year 2030.

The Wexford Councillor explained, “Smoking is one of the greatest causes of ill health and poor quality of life in old age.  As well as the human cost, the health consequences place a huge burden on our health system.

“A new study published this month has shown that smoking related hospital admissions cost the public health service €172million annually.  This figure was based on the numbers admitted to hospital with smoking related illnesses in 2016, which in total accounted for 309,117 bed days.  All of these were attributable to smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke

“Fianna Fáil has been a global leader in substantially reducing smoking, pioneering the ban on smoking in the workplace in 2004.  We intend to continue to reduce smoking levels in Ireland to negligible levels.

“Our general election manifesto pledges to make Ireland a tobacco-free society within 10 years. This is an ambitious target to radically reduce smoking levels to less than 5%, thereby significantly improving overall public health in Ireland and reducing the burden on our hospital system.

“I will support heavier penalties for those who illegally facilitate underage smoking. We also need to continue active programmes aimed at preventing young people from starting to smoke in the first place.

“Vaping has its place among smokers trying to quit, but it should have no place in the lives of those who have never smoked. We need to examine stricter regulation of e-cigarettes.”

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