Taxpayer-funded charity sparks outrage by handing out free cigarettes as part of ANTI-SMOKING campaign

April 24th, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

Tobacco Free Futures sent £20 packets of cigarettes to around 20 media outlets
They deny that their actions were ‘irresponsible’

By
Rob Cooper

PUBLISHED:

13:38 EST, 23 April 2012

|

UPDATED:

14:10 EST, 23 April 2012

Blunder: The charity have come under fire for handing out free cigarettes

A taxpayer-funded charity has sparked outrage by giving away free cigarettes as part of an anti-smoking campaign.

Tobacco Free Futures sent out packs to highlight how cigarette packaging can lead children to become addicted to smoking.

The Merseyside-based charity’s strategy has been blasted by politicians for being ‘irresponsible’.

Councillor Rosie Jolly, Liverpool council Liberal Democrat shadow cabinet member for children’s services, said: ‘I think this sends out mixed messages, and it’s completely contradictory to what is supposed to be being achieved.

‘The whole point is to make cigarettes less visible and attractive to children, and here we are doing something that completely contradicts that.’

The charity defended its decision, saying they had only sent packs out to a few people in the North West media to draw attention to the dangers of smoking to influential people, including MPs.

Each pack costs £20 to send out – and they were sent to around 20 media outlets.

Blunder: The charity Tobacco Free Futures sent out around 20 packs of free cigarettes at a cost of £20 each

In
a statement, a Tobacco Free Futures spokesperson said: ‘It is important
to Tobacco Free Futures that people with influence, such as journalists
and MPs, have the opportunity to see how brightly coloured and super
slim cigarettes are being used alongside packaging to hook young women
into a deadly addiction that kills one in two lifelong customers.’

Free cigarettes: Andrea Crossfield, Director of Tobacco Free Futures

Andrea Crossfield, Director of Tobacco Free Futures said: ‘The tobacco industry spends a lot of time and money targeting young people because they have potential to be customers for life.

‘The introduction of plain, standardised packaging would mean a victory for our children and a defeat for the tobacco industry, who have described the pack as their ‘silent salesman’.

‘We want people to support the
introduction of plain, standardised packaging for tobacco products as a
measure to prevent children and young people from taking up smoking, and
a lifetime of addiction.’

They denied that they were giving out free cigarettes as part of the campaign.

A
spokesperson added: ‘They were sent purely to help inform approximately
20 adult health journalists in the North West about how the tobacco
industry targets young people through packaging, cigarette shape and
colour.

‘We also sent a plain, standardised pack as well as key facts about the recent government consultation.

Campaign: Tobacco Free Futures are leading a drive to remove the branding from cigarette packets in an attempt to make them less desirable

‘We clearly stated in our letter that accompanied these cigarettes they were not for consumption.’

The article sparked outrage with Liberal Democrat shadow cabinet member for children’s services who claimed the campaigners actions were ‘irresponsible’.

But Tobacco Free Futures insists that no packets were sent to children and their bid raise awareness of the dangers of smoking and advertising has been successful.

The spokesman added: ‘Sending packets cost us about £360 yet has helped secure thousands of pounds worth of positive media coverage for the campaign to introduce plain, standardised packaging.

‘Of course we don’t usually condone spending money on tobacco but in this unique instance the end justified the means.’

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How do these anti smoking “groups” get the status of being a Charity, they are paid by the Taxpayer both non smoking and smoking taxpayers to promote Prohibition,Discrimination and Intolerance in this country, Cameron promised to get rid of Quangos and the likes of ASH and others should be the first to go, if as they say they have the Publics support they should be able to get by with Public Donations Not Taxpayer Funding.

– F Wilson, uk, 24/4/2012 08:40

Only in Britain!

– John Turner, Melbourne Australia, 24/4/2012 06:04

It would be a charity to teach them about punctuation. The correct slogan should read “tobacco-free future”. The hyphen makes all the difference, and “futures” is nonsensical.
– mirabel, plasencia spain, 24/4/2012 00:11
You are so right! Sadly, grammar, spelling, and punctuation, are practically non-existent these days, even in once-respected newspapers!

– Kathy, Niort, France, 24/4/2012 06:01

I smoke. I will die. But I pay tax. Others going skiing, climbing, hang-gliding ….. They will probably die too. But their ‘fun’ isn’t taxed.

– Edna, Kent, 24/4/2012 01:34

Do the same as NZ $100 a packet won’t be seeing many smoking then I bet Problem solved and a healthier country all in all 😉

– xShellx, Swansea, 24/4/2012 01:19

This country gets funnier by the day.Why do I need the so called “do gooders” to tell me what I can and cannot do at the end of the day it is up to me and only me.
If I want to have a beer I have a beer nobody elses business,
If I want to smoke a cigerette I do nobody elses business.
If I want to eat myself silly I do nobody elses business.
I could go on and on … so why don’t some of these small minded people get on with their lifes instead of interfering with others.or is it simply they’ve got nothing better to do.Listning to some of these so called groups makes me want to vomit

– Tony , Erith,Kent, 24/4/2012 00:15

It would be a charity to teach them about punctuation. The correct slogan should read “tobacco-free future”. The hyphen makes all the difference, and “futures” is nonsensical.

– mirabel, plasencia spain, 24/4/2012 00:11

Do us taxpayers a favour……Just get rid of this daft publicly funded quango (charity)

– Darnthesafetynet, London W11 1NR, 24/4/2012 00:06

Could they not have accquired some empty packets to send on to these journalists therefore saving money. Or is that too logical?

– dsr, lincs, 23/4/2012 23:57

How can you call it charity when taxpayers money is being pumped into it?

– John, England, 23/4/2012 23:48

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