Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses. We welcome the fact that they have come to give a presentation on the subject before us. They have reinforced the views that are widely held by everyone, in particular in terms of the clinical outcomes of smoking and the impact it has on people's lives and health. We are probably all in agreement that we must do everything we possibly can to reduce smoking. Based on the clinical experience of the witnesses, the prevailing view seems to be that when a person starts smoking they will, in effect, be smoking for life. That is what the tobacco companies hope, and if a person dies then they have to recruit someone else at a young age to take up smoking and keep the momentum going in terms of sales and marketing.

It was said that we must ensure standardised packaging is introduced in terms of size and shape so that one will not have packaging that looks like lipstick or other attractive designs aimed at young people. What specific issue within the confines of the Bill on standardised packaging of tobacco should we include to ensure that we keep a genuine focus on reducing the consumption of tobacco?

Several speakers outlined why 22% of the population smoke. It will become more difficult to reduce the number of smokers in the future. We have extremely well-resourced forces against us. International tobacco companies are hugely resourced and well organised and there is massive support in terms of other professional bodies that support them because they are funded by them. We are a small player in a powerful fight. We all know that if tobacco was discovered tomorrow and brought to our shores it would be an illegal substance and would not be allowed in. We are where we are and we must try to row back on the situation. I am interested to hear whether there is something else we should include to strengthen the legislation or that we could recommend to Government for future legislation if it is not possible to incorporate it in the Bill under discussion.

I do not know what would prompt Professor Clancy to suggest that politicians would even look at polls to make suggestions or that we would define a policy in order to be popular. That would not enter our minds at all. I smoke from time to time. I have tried to stay off cigarettes for most of my life. I am shattered when I see young children smoking. Given what we know now based on clinical and empirical evidence across the world there is no logical or good reason to smoke. When we were growing up the advertising campaigns were starting to say that smoking was bad but I can remember the Marlborough man advertisement. Are there other ways in which we could target smoking? Given the resources available to the State in terms of legislation or taxation and focusing on advertising and education what steps could be taken to discourage young people in particular from taking up smoking? The role models for young boys in many cases are health conscious sports people, for example, soccer players, rugby players and hurlers among others. We have a cohort of young girls in particular whose role models are not necessarily positive in terms of why they are famous. One sees the message given by waif-thin models and the association there is with smoking. All those things are being portrayed in a covert way by powerful forces. We must examine that area as well. Standardised packaging of tobacco will help but I am keen to hear whether there is anything else we can or should do either in the Bill under discussion or in another public health policy area to focus on young people in particular, especially young girls, because the statistics suggest that they are vulnerable in terms of the implications on their health and in the longer term on the health of the nation.