The Lies Of Reilly

In Ireland, 2015 began with Irish politicians proposing to take action on e-cigs due to crass ignorance, but this is a time of year where new leaves are turned so Irish Minister James Reilly is beginning 2016 by ... taking action on e-cigs due to crass ignorance.

“I am very concerned about e-cigarettes. We didn’t have sufficient information and I didn’t want the ‘perfect’ to get in the way of the ‘good’ in relation to including that in the legislation,” Dr James Reilly said. “But the evidence is starting to pile up now that this is a serious problem.”

Is that so, James? That's curious because the prevailing consensus seems to most of us to be going in the opposite direction.

The deputy leader of Fine Gael said he was concerned that e-cigarettes could become a “gateway” to traditional nicotine consumption. 

Really James? So you're not aware of your own government's Healthy Ireland Survey 2015, which found “just 0.1% of never-smokers use e-cigarettes.”.

“I don’t want to undermine anything we’re doing by not having good, strong evidence, well-researched." 

So your own government's research isn't good, strong or well-researched? Is that what you're saying? Quite a damning statement, but OK how about the Irish Cancer Society’s position paper on e-cigarettes from last year which said that 0% of non-smokers currently use e-cigarettes? Is that nonsense too?

"I know that there are people in America very concerned about this. What they’re finding over there now in recent surveys is that there are more children using e-cigarettes than smoking, as the first step. So now the danger is it’ll become a gateway into tobacco smoking and that’s a really serious issue.”

Is this the same America where teen smoking is at its lowest level in recorded history? Where it seems that the advent of e-cigs has coincided with a huge fall in the number of kids smoking? Is that what tobacco controllers are worried about in America, James?

And how is it a "serious issue" or a "gateway" if smoking prevalence is continually declining? Is this some kind of weird Irish mathematics?

He said the Government would keep “a close eye” on e-cigarettes. “If more information comes through to us on the damage that they’re causing, we will act on them too, if we’re in Government, obviously.”

I don't see any damage, James, nor does your own government's advisers. Do you have a different definition of the word over there?

"I always feel the greatest negligence is when you know there’s a danger and you do nothing about it.”

I can think of worse negligence, sunshine, how about talking up danger that doesn't exist solely because you harbour absurd, irrational and hysterical prejudices?