Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-12-11-Speech-1-067"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2000-12-11"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Tobacco products2
dcterms:Language	"en"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20001211.3.1-067"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2000-12-11-Speech-1-0682
lpv:speaker	lp:Catherine Stihler2
lpv:spoken text	"Mr President, smoking is the tragedy of our time – the biggest cause of preventable illness and disease across the European Union. More than half a million people die needlessly each year in the European Union and the number is set to grow if we do not act now. That is why this directive is so important: bigger, bolder, clearer health warnings, a ban on misleading descriptions such as 'light', 'ultra' and 'mild', a maximum tar content for products used in the EU as well as for exports, and, for the first time, a disclosure of ingredients. As a relatively new Member of this House it struck me how strong the forces against this directive are in this Parliament. There have been so many red herrings thrown into this debate that I think many people would be more comfortable in a fishing debate than in a public health debate. The power of big tobacco companies is all too evident. I say to each and every one of my colleagues, tobacco is like no other product. You become addicted and it kills you. It is a fact that 80% of people start smoking before the age of eighteen yet the tobacco industry says people make adult choices. It is a fact that 80% of smokers want to stop but there are few policies within the tobacco industry to help those people stop. Instead it pretends to tackle youth smoking. If we had known at the outset what we know about tobacco now, it would be an A-class drug. It is a fact that in the last century almost twice as many people died because of tobacco than in the two world wars put together. If we do not act now, worldwide deaths are estimated at one billion this century. Let us make sure that the fight to save lives is paramount and play our part in tackling the power of big tobacco interests, which only destroy lives."@en1
lpv:spokenAs	unknown; Labour Party (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3,3 member; PES (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3,3 member; Delegation to the EU-Hungary Joint Parliamentary Committee (1999-10-06--2002-01-14)3,3 member; Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy (2000-02-18--2002-01-14)3,3 member; PECH (2000-03-17--2002-01-14)3,3
lpv:unclassifiedMetadata	"Stihler (PSE )."1

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