Current TD's and Senators who are cigarette smokers

dobz95

Random, curious thread.
Just interested as a smoker to see does anyone know any current TD's or Senators who are cigarette smokers.
I have seen Jonathan O'Brien and Richard Boyd Barrett smoke cigarettes and they are politicians.

teddyhead

Good question . Given that 'the government' (it dosent matter which one) sees tobacco addiction as a cash cow , I'd like to know how many previous government ministers actually understand the nature of this addiction and why they think excessive taxation is a cure for it.

andrew

teddyhead wrote: »

Good question . Given that 'the government' (it dosent matter which one) sees tobacco addiction as a cash cow , I'd like to know how many previous government ministers actually understand the nature of this addiction and why they think excessive taxation is a cure for it.

There's a good amount of evidence that taxation (along with other initiatives) does indeed reduce smoking.

Godge

dobz95 wrote: »

Random, curious thread.
Just interested as a smoker to see does anyone know any current TD's or Senators who are cigarette smokers.
I have seen Jonathan O'Brien and Richard Boyd Barrett smoke cigarettes and they are politicians.

I do remember watching a news report quite a few years ago from outside the Department of Health in Hawkins Street and seeing who I thought was the Secretary General of the Department in the background having a smoke. It was a bit far away but I knew him at the time and that he was a smoker and it would have been funny if it had been spotted.

For Forks Sake

dobz95 wrote: »

Random, curious thread.
Just interested as a smoker to see does anyone know any current TD's or Senators who are cigarette smokers.
I have seen Jonathan O'Brien and Richard Boyd Barrett smoke cigarettes and they are politicians.

If you're making a list, I'm fairly sure Finian McGrath is a committed smoker.

edit: yep: http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/oireachtas/smokers-hammered-with-punitive-legislation-td-claims-1.1854196

Sam Russell

For Forks Sake wrote: »

If you're making a list, I'm fairly sure Finian McGrath is a committed smoker.

edit: yep: http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/oireachtas/smokers-hammered-with-punitive-legislation-td-claims-1.1854196

He says smokers contribute €1.2 billion to the state - and that runs a lot of services. It is not enough to run the health service (€14 billion in 2014) - nor is it enough to pay for the health services needed by smokers - 1 in 4 adults are smokers and 1 in 2 of those smokers (will) die from their addiction.

Mind you, type 2 diabetes and obesity are also high cost generators for the health service.

Graham

You can bet somebody deep in the bowels of the Dept of Finance somewhere has the figures for the pension savings as a result of smoking shortening average life spans.

votecounts

Billy Kelleher smokes, had one with him outside jurys in cork years ago

mansize

Shane Ross surely is a smoker?

mahoganygas

I spotted Mary-lou having a fag in her car last week.

andrew

Graham wrote: »

You can bet somebody deep in the bowels of the Dept of Finance somewhere has the figures for the pension savings as a result of smoking shortening average life spans.

Here's the figures for Finland if you're interested. In summary:

• Average total healthcare costs were €4,700 lower, since they die early
• Dying early means €126,850 less in pension costs
• Overall, smokers’ average net contribution to the public finance balance was €133 800 greater per individual compared with non-smokers

Sam Russell

Of course if you look at the conclusions :-

Conclusions Smoking was associated with a moderate decrease in healthcare costs, and a marked decrease in pension costs due to increased mortality. However, when a monetary value for life years lost was taken into account, the beneficial net effect of non-smoking to society was about €70 000 per individual.

Well, it depends on what you want to believe.

Graham

Sam Russell wrote: »

Of course if you look at the conclusions :-



Well, it depends on what you want to believe.

I wonder what my value per life year will be if I make it to my 70s. Are later life years valued at the same rate s the earlier ones?

Allinall

Graham wrote: »

I wonder what my value per life year will be if I make it to my 70s. Are later life years valued at the same rate s the earlier ones?

Former Minister for Health James Reilly is a smoker.

He's not a TD at the moment, but is due to be appointed to the Seanad.

L1011

Graham wrote: »

I wonder what my value per life year will be if I make it to my 70s. Are later life years valued at the same rate s the earlier ones?

In most methods of calculation, no

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality-adjusted_life_year

Graham

L1011 wrote: »

In most methods of calculation, no

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality-adjusted_life_year

I'm just trying to work out how the "the beneficial net effect of non-smoking to society was about €70 000 per individual" mentioned by Sam is calculated.

From the Finland report:

However, if each lost quality adjusted life year is considered to be worth €22 200, the net effect is reversed to be €70 200 (€71.600 when adjusted with propensity score) per individual in favour of non-smoking.

The QALY appears to be calculated the same for a 25 year old as a 75 year old. While I can understand the political reasons when that figure is used to do a cost-benefit analysis of specific medical treatments, I don't think it represents the economic reality.

For Forks Sake

Allinall wrote: »

Former Minister for Health James Reilly is a smoker.

He's not a TD at the moment, but is due to be appointed to the Seanad.

You sure about that, I was of the impression that he is vehemently anti-smoking, or is that his inner GP at work?

Allinall

For Forks Sake wrote: »

You sure about that, I was of the impression that he is vehemently anti-smoking, or is that his inner GP at work?

Oops!

Apologies to Dr. Reilly.

No idea where I plucked that from.

You are indeed correct.

For Forks Sake

Even as a smoker myself, I think this is ridiculous.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/finian-mcgrath-asks-for-more-public-sympathy-for-smokers-1.2648775

Minister of State for Health says there should be designated smoking areas in pubs and restaurants

People should be more sympathetic to smokers, Minister of State for Health Finian McGrath has said.

Mr McGrath, himself a smoker of many years, has repeated his personal view there should be designated areas for smokers in pubs and restaurants.

“We smokers have an addiction,’’ he said on Sunday. “Every day, I try to give them up or reduce the number I smoke and, so far, I have not succeeded.’’
Mr McGrath, a member of the Independent Alliance, has responsibility for the disability sector, and attends Cabinet meetings as a “super junior’’ Minister.

He said although his view was personal, he appreciated some people might feel it incompatible with his departmental responsibilities and he would not be repeating it again while Minister of State.

He stressed he fully supported the programme for government’s target of making Ireland tobacco-free by 2025, with less than five per cent of the population smoking by then.

“Personally I feel smokers can be soft targets,’’ he added. “I can understand people’s concerns about the health implications, but the reality is a significant number of us smoke.’’

He added he would welcome an educational programme to discourage young people from taking up the habit. “I think it would be no harm if we had a national debate on this,’’ he said.

Mr McGrath said he was concerned about the illegal trade in cigarettes by criminal gangs. “Increasing the price of cigarettes too much assists these gangs and I think this should be taken into account when the next budget is framed,’’ he added.

The Dublin Bay North TD’s remarks reflect his outspoken and candid views. Last week, he defused a controversy when he announced he would pay his water charges after earlier indicating he had not done so as a protest against them.

Lt Dan

Ah none of them compare to the great Pipe Smokers Sean Lemass, Jack Lynch and Neil Blaney.

Jarry Adams use to pose with a Pipe too.

Deacy, FG chap from Waterford , was one of the first to get hassle about the smoking ban if I remember ,was a smoker (not sure now)

Anyone know what particular brands they shmoke?

Hannibal

A friend of mine seen Varadker smoking in a well known north Dublin hotel residents bar when he was just appointed health minister. The thing I remember being funny was that a) health minister smoking b) it was indoors c) he was with a male friend, he hadn't publicly came out yet. Three little bits of scandal.