James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Everything is possible, but whether it is wise is another day’s work. Cigars and pipe tobacco are tobacco and they do cause harm such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, impotence and a host of other problems. Notwithstanding that those particular forms of smoking are not currently popular, one must consider what might happen if the other forms of tobacco become very unpopular. Where do members think the focus of the tobacco industry will go? It will go onto cigars and pipe tobacco, of course. The legislation covers all tobacco products and I believe that to be right and proper. That will pre-empt us having to return in a number of years to again pass specific laws on those other tobacco products which will become a major focus of the tobacco industry should it find, as it will indeed find, that plain packaging has resulted in a huge reduction in the number of people smoking cigarettes in this country.

The situation around e-cigarettes has become quite worrying. In one survey in the UK 4% of children are vaping, who never smoked and in America the rate of young people vaping is up to 17%. The tobacco companies are buying up the smaller e-cigarette companies and it is being promoted now as a lifestyle choice as opposed to an aid to help kick the habit of smoking. One can see where this vastly well-resourced industry focuses its attention. As it finds one door closing it seeks to find a window somewhere else open. On the basis of tobacco being harmful, regardless of the form in which it is used, the legislation applies to all tobacco products.