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RTÉ receive complaint from anti-smoking group regarding legal drama Striking Out

Amy Huberman stars in the series

RTÉ have received a complaint from an anti-smoking group over the smoking featured in  legal drama Striking Out.

The series, which stars Amy Huberman, Maria Doyle Kennedy and Neil Morrissey, is broadcast on RTÉ1 at 9.35pm on Sunday nights.

According to Independent.ie, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Ireland sent a letter to the national broadcaster earlier this month, in which they criticised the show for ‘normalising’ smoking.

The letter, which was addressed to Director General Dee Forbes, read, “A number of people have raised the issue of the amount of smoking witnessed by your viewers of the second episode of ‘Striking Out’ on Sunday 14th January last.”

“Witnessing smoking on such a programme normalises smoking for viewers, especially young people. This runs contrary to all that is being achieved by our health services, advocates and citizens by reducing smoking to some 18% of the population in the past fourteen years.

“I would be keen to know what is the RTÉ policy in regard to smoking on various programmes, especially those created and commissioned by RTÉ and funded in many instance by the taxpayer.

“I expect that you would have a bar in place on programme makers taking funding from the tobacco industry under any guise whatever. We will be writing similarly to the BAI.”

In the episode they referenced, Maria Doyle Kennedy and Neil Morrissey’s character are seen smoking in an office.

When contacted by the Sunday Times, Striking Out producer Yvonne Donohoe said the characters smoking was part of a particular storyline that will be featured in later episodes.

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