Ms Caroline O'Sullivan:

I do not have much to add to the wonderful responses already. Why children start to smoke is the biggest issue, and prevention is better than cure. As Paul says, the longer that can be delayed, the better the chance the child or young person will not take up smoking. Anti-smoking campaigns can work, but they are working more for adults. Adults can reach a point where they have been smoking for so long, for example, 15 years, that they think it is time to give up. The campaigns work on that basis, but from our discussions with young people, they look upon lung cancer and other diseases as something that could happen in 30 years. At present, they are more concerned about looking good, having peers, going out with their friends and enjoying themselves. Thirty years in the future is completely irrelevant to a young teenager. The issue is about ensuring they are not attracted to the product in the first place. Education could work alongside that.