London, Health Minister (with cigars) drowns out anti-smoking campaign – Corriere.it

already set, In early September, caused some bewilderment: the health minister is a cigar-lover, drinking and sure with a few extra pounds. she herself, Thrse Coffey, admitted he wasn’t a model: But no, she is a longtime friend of the Prime Minister Les Trusswho made her close to his side, and even granted her the rank of Deputy Prime Minister.

but now The unlikely minister She ended up in the crosshairs of criticism not for her personal life choices, but for political decisions about everyone’s health: she Send the British government’s anti-smoking campaign to the atticHe refused to recommend raising the age to buy tobacco by one year each year and allocating 125 million pounds (just under 150 million euros) to encourage people to quit smoking.

He was asked on the radio about progress towards the government’s goal of making Britain a country No smoking by 2030 (i.e. reduced to less than 5% of smokers)Covey responded that she knew nothing because I had not dealt with this specific prevention policy: she added that her priorities were rather Ambulances and waiting lists affecting the national health system.

But in fact, other than evasive tones, we know very well where her heart beats: in the past the current Minister of Health Vote against the ban on smoking indoorsagainst the obligation to sell cigarettes in unidentified packages and even against the ban on smoking in cars when children are present.

In the latter case, he made it clear yesterday that he did not believe the right thing to do was to tell the parents how to handle the situation: in his opinion, It’s not about imposing public health directivesRather, they prefer a positive preventive programme.

These are positions rooted in the libertarian orthodoxy shared by Liz Truss, who said in her recent address to the Board of Governors that this is not the job of the government. Tell people how to live their lives. In fact, even the Prime Minister, when she was a simple MP, voted against anti-smoking measures and in favor of easing bans in bars.

A position at odds with the same policies pursued by conservative governments in the past ten years, which through tax increases and advertising restrictions have been able to The proportion of smokers drops to 14% of the population. A long-term plan to reduce tobacco use is not everything Relieves pressure on the health servicebut it contributes to the government’s goal of Extending life expectancy by 5 years by 2035Smoking is in fact responsible for 78,000 deaths annually in Great Britain. The additional problem that the lockdown has caused many people to get their hands on cigarettes again: This is also why, in an editorial, The times He described Thrace Covey’s position as disappointing and wrong. Because it indicates, in the case of smoking, that the debate has transcended the tension between personal freedom and public health.