Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the delegates and thank them for their presentations. I apologise on behalf of Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin as unfortunately he cannot be here today.

Sinn Féin supports the planned legislation. My colleague Martina Anderson has done a lot of work with regard to the tobacco directive at EU level. What do the delegates think about the discussion on the current tobacco products directive at EU level? Should menthol cigarettes be included in the legislation? What is the age profile of those taking up smoking? With regard to the plain packaging in Australia, has the number of people quitting smoking levelled off? Have those who have quit smoking stayed off tobacco?

A comment was made in one of the presentations to the effect that the University of Cambridge estimated in 2013 that two years after the introduction of plain packaging, the number of adult smokers would be reduced by one percentage point, and that the percentage of children experimenting with tobacco would be reduced by three percentage points. How would these statistics translate into figures in this State? What would the long-term effect be on smoking and tobacco addiction?

How could the legislation be improved? It was stated that addiction keeps people smoking and that branding entices them to start. Is it a case of branding or addiction? There is no branding of illegal drugs but people still use them because of socioeconomic factors. Could the same thinking not be applied to cigarettes?