Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I very much welcome the panel of experts who have addressed us and attended the meeting this morning. The exercise is unchallenging because every member of the committee here present shares the view and outlook of the witnesses. They have no project to peddle to convince us. I do not know if anyone will take up the role of devil’s advocate and try to argue the contrary position. I will not, but I will try to tease out some of Dr. Sadlier’s comments. He should please understand that I support the legislation. There is no question of our shared position on this matter.

Dr. Sadlier referred to evidence that is already available. I did ask in a number of earlier engagements on the matter for witnesses to show the evidence that this is a worthwhile step and that it is not just to give the impression of doing something. I really want this to be meaningful and that it will do as it says, dare I say, on the pack. Dr. Sadlier said evidence is already available that plain packaging works. He went on to make the point that plain packaging spurred a 78% increase in calls to the quit line. I am taking an awkward position; that could mean that four people had previously decided to quit and three more joined them. It really does not tell us an awful lot. Can we seriously argue, as the New South Wales study suggests, that there was a 78% increase in the number of people contacting the quit line because of the introduction of plain packaging? I would love to think that were the case but I am sceptical. It is important that we have strong arguments to convince more and more people that this is a meaningful and worthwhile exercise.

Dr. Sadlier mentioned that when young people look at plain cigarette packs they are considered less stylish and not as attractive. The experience today is that one cannot see cigarettes on sale in a retail outlet because they are shielded from view. An earlier comment was made to the committee – it might have been by the Minister – that in social settings young people can see cigarette packs sitting on a table in a bar, lounge or other social setting. Dr. Sadlier was correct to give credit where it is due. Deputy Micheál Martin, when Minister, championed the end of smoking in the workplace and social settings. That recognition is deserved. Nevertheless, from my personal observation of the situation, on social occasions one finds that men have cigarettes in their pocket. They are no longer on the table in front of them beside their pint. There is no ashtray as there is no smoking. Women invariably keep cigarettes in their handbags. They do not take them out until they are outside the door or in a smoking environment.

Consequently, they now are less a tool of promotion then when they were something on a table before other young people.

As for the idea of it not being as attractive to mimic, I noted that in the introduction to Dr. O'Connell's submission, he spoke of how attractive packaging plays an important role in enticing young people to take up smoking and then advocated plain packaging with graphic health warnings. However, the current packaging has such graphic health warnings, which rightly are absolutely horrendous. Consequently, I am unsure whether there is a cohort of young people who would think the current packaging is any less horrific than if it were plain with the same photographic depictions. As I do not know, I am just teasing this out because the witnesses could go through this exercise, after which they will go away and members will go away until the next session, which might be a wee bit more interesting. This is not to take away from the importance of this engagement but we must tease this out a little and I asked witnesses to accept my contribution in that spirit.

I have just two further points to make. I wish to record my thanks to Dr. O'Connell's colleagues, as I recently have been a guest of his fine hospital.