Mr. Mark Murphy:

Both of the organisations present have called for an increased level of taxation in this regard. Studies have shown that young people are moving towards roll-your-own tobacco as traditional packets of 20 cigarettes are being taxed at a higher rate. Overall, by quantity, roll-your-own tobacco is slightly cheaper. We have been calling for those products to be taxed at a higher rate. Studies have also shown that young people consider roll-your-own tobacco to be healthier and somehow more organic than traditional cigarettes that come in packets of 20. That needs to be addressed through taxation but it should also be highlighted that roll-your-own cigarettes are more harmful, not less harmful, than traditional cigarettes.

On the issue of vending machines and the locations where cigarettes can be bought, in order to make it easier for people to quit, we have to cut down on the number of locations in which cigarettes are sold, including vending machines.

We welcome the fact the proposed Bill will put new registration measures in place in the context of where tobacco products are being sold and will introduce an annual fee per outlet. We have called for a €500 annual fee per retail outlet that sells tobacco. In the Department of Health's regulatory analysis of the proposed Bill, it was mentioned that, in the context of alcohol, a €500 per retail outlet licence has to be paid annually. We need to put a high price on retail locations that sell tobacco. That could limit locations where tobacco could be sold. Studies have shown the higher density of places that sell tobacco, the more people smoking in that area and the higher initiation rate for children. That is a major step. We need to put a high annual fee on locations selling tobacco products and ban vending machines.