Iceland Debates Banning Cigarette Sales In Place Of Prescription Only Availability
Iceland is considering banning the sale of cigarettes and making them a prescription-only product, according to a news report in The Guardian newspaper today, 4th July. But Unionsafety's website editor is not happy - more of that later.
The private members bill by the former health minister Siv Fridleifsdottir, has the support from members of five parties in parliament she says. The reason for the bill was because she now believes that Iceland had to wake up to the known dangers of smoking.
The Icelandic parliament in Reykjavik will debate the proposal that would result in pharmacies only being allowed to dispense cigarettes to customers with a valid medical certificate. The sale of cigarettes in all other outlets, e.g. supermarkets, service stations, duty-free shops and kiosks.
Doctors will be encouraged to help smokers kick the habit with treatments and education programmes. Only those undertaking such forms of support to stop smoking, and finding it still impossible, will then be given prescriptions. They would also have to ensure they attended for regular health checks.
Prescription products in Iceland are subsidised, but cigarettes would not be. They would remain at their full market value, about 900kr (£4.90) in Iceland. Those supporting the bill, claim that if cigarettes were priced according to the level of harm and cost to Icelandic society, they would actually cost around 3,000KR per pack.
The Guardian article quotes a spokeswoman from the ministry of welfare as saying that the proposal was "very serious" but had limited chances of success.
It goes on: "Siv Frideleifsdottir is a very serious politician and this is a very serious proposal," said Anna Baldursdottir, political advisor to the minister of welfare, Gudbjartur Hannesson. "Whether it not it eventually becomes law, I do not know. I seriously doubt it." The idea will be debated in the Althing, Iceland's parliament, in the autumn, when politicians return from recess, she added.”
The Guardian article concludes:
“Iceland has successfully halved smoking rates over the past 20 years. In 1991, 30% of the population smoked; today, only about 15% of 15- to 89-year-olds light up regularly, according to Baldursdottir, giving it the lowest smoking rates in Europe. This success is attributed to huge increases in tobacco tax, which accounts for 228kr a pack of 20 cigarettes, as well as the drop in disposable income among islanders since the financial crash of 2008. It was also the first country to ban tobacco advertising in shops.”
Chris Ingram, Editor of Unionsafety claims that the idea was originally his and hopes the UK will also adopt the measure. He told Unionsafety: "Iceland have nicked this idea from me, as my union colleagues and friends well know. This idea has been a favourite rant of mine for years and one I repeat regularly on Friday nights in the pub!"
He added as proof: "Liverpool is very popular with tourists from Europe and you can here all sorts of scandinavian languages being spoken in Liverpool city centre pubs. Obviously some english-speaking Icelandic tourist has overheard me and written to Iceland's health minister about my idea claiming it was there's!"
Sadly for Chris, according to The Guardian, the idea has little chance of becoming law in Iceland.
Source: The Guardian
