APPG on Cancer 2009

On Tuesday 27th February the Welsh Assembly All Party Group on Cancer met to discuss the issue of young people and tobacco.

CancerCampaigns Ambassador, Bridget McNally, started the meeting by submitting 55,000 petition signatures from the Out of Sight, Out of Mind campaign to the acting Chair of the APG, Dai Lloyd AM (pictured).

The Out of Sight, Out of Mind Campaign calls for the UK Government to restrict tobacco displays at the point of sale, and push for strong action on cigarette vending machines and plain packaging for cigarettes.

We are therefore urging the National Assembly for Wales to work with the Westminster Government so that measures that will protect young people from tobacco can be to can be introduced in England and Wales as soon as possible.

Bridget also spoke of her experiences as someone living with cancer and as a former teacher of primary school children who endeavoured to discourage them from smoking. Dai Lloyd AM praised Bridget for her ardent and moving talk which received applause.

Several impassioned speakers followed including a 16 year old from the young people’s smoking information service, Ffaith, who is currently trying to kick the potentially fatal addiction and three generations from one family who have successfully quit smoking thanks to the Stop Smoking Wales Cessation Service. One young woman described her battle to stop smoking when she had discovered she was pregnant. Happily, she succeeded and through her talk she held her healthy young baby for all to see.

Tanya Buchanan, Director of ASH Wales gave an eye opening talk about the marketing of cigarettes to young people and the successes in countries such as Iceland where measures have been brought in to curtail the visibility and availability of tobacco to children.

Dai Lloyd assured everyone that he and the other members of the APG would do all they could to ensure tobacco is put ‘Out of Sight and Out of Mind’.

For more information please contact Clare Bath , Public Affairs Officer for Wales.