Website names tobacco’s supporters

Two lung specialists have launched a website listing the names and jobs of people it says work for the tobacco industry lobby in the Netherlands, according to a DutchNews.nl story.

The list includes health minister, Edith Schippers, described as the ‘minister of tobacco employers’, as well as several other prominent politicians.

Schippers, an ex-smoker, relaxed the ban on smoking in small bars and cafés following a court ruling, and reduced funding for anti-smoking measures.

She has since handed over responsibility for smoking policy to her deputy.

The website is the initiative of a foundation set up to stop youngsters picking up the smoking habit. The foundation, Stichting Rookpreventie Jeugd, operates under the slogan: ‘smoking kills, government do something’.

The two doctors argue that information about the dangers of smoking does not help as long as the tobacco lobby remains active behind the scenes.

Christian Democrat senator, Hans Hillen, listed on the site as a former tobacco industry adviser, was quoted as saying he was neutral about smoking and accused the makers of the website of ‘hypocritical fanaticism’.