Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)

I welcome this legislative provision. We have spoken on this issue on numerous occasions in the context of broader health debates, but this provision is critical and central to any Government policy aimed at promoting health in the population.

We must acknowledge that smoking, and nicotine in particular, is addictive and must look at the issue in that context. The statistics show clearly that a large number of people who smoke would like to be able to give them up and that they continually make an effort to give up cigarettes. I have tried once or twice to give them up myself. We must be very conscious of the addictive nature of smoking when discussing health promotion and reducing tobacco consumption in Ireland. Sometimes we forget to look at tobacco as an addictive substance. Therefore, any policies we bring forward to discourage people, young people in particular, from starting smoking or to encourage smokers to quit smoking are welcome.

The proposal to use these graphic photographs is positive. All the research shows clearly that graphic images make people more aware of the negative health impacts of smoking. We do not have to look far to see the power exerted by the tobacco industry. Philip Morris International and others are flexing their muscles in threatening to bring states to court if they seek to introduce generic packaging of tobacco products. The company is initiating such an action in Australia, for example. We should not be surprised by these tactics given that tobacco companies have lied on many occasions over the years when making presentations to the United States Houses of Congress and various committees on Capitol Hill and have consistently denied putting any chemicals or products in cigarettes to make them more addictive. We all know that is patently untrue. If they were concerned in any way for people's health, they would try to make cigarettes less damaging and addictive. Instead, the policy is to ensure that smokers maintain the habit for as long as possible. We should not be bullied or browbeaten in any way by companies whose sole objective is to enslave people to nicotine addiction.

As a society and as a Parliament, we must get to grips with the importance of health promotion. At present, it is done in a piecemeal way, with the Department of Health having overall responsibility, the Department of Education and Skills making noises about increasing the allocation for physical education in the educational curriculum, and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport also having a remit. There should be a concerted and co-ordinated effort across all Departments to ensure health promotion and physical activity are at the centre of the educational curriculum. I am not talking about physical education for one hour a week rather an effort to educate children to see physical activity, healthy eating and good nutrition as a vital part of life. In a broader sense, we must encourage people to reduce consumption of alcohol and cigarettes and to be aware of nutritional and physical activity guidelines.

I do not mean to take a puritanical approach, but there is extensive evidence to suggest that while we are becoming more aware of health issues in general, we are, as a nation, struggling in certain areas, as evidenced, for instance, by the increase in the incidence of obesity in young people. It is a problem any Government and society should seek to address at an early stage, rather than having to deal with the serious medical issues arising in later life from unhealthy living. The cost to the Exchequer, and hence to the taxpayer, in dealing with smoking-related illnesses in the years ahead is alarming, with a potential contingent liability on the State of some €29 billion. We can encourage people to give up smoking, improve labelling and packaging, introduce strong advertising campaigns and so on, but we must also, because tobacco is an addictive product, facilitate people who are making efforts to give up smoking, perhaps via the provision of nicotine replacement patches, tablets and so on. I am not suggesting that people should be able to avail of these products free of cost whenever they like, but a system might be put in place whereby smokers are allocated a quota of nicotine replacement therapy products free of charge. We must look to more practical support solutions other than helplines and advertising campaigns. The research shows that nicotine replacement therapy can help people to quit smoking.

Within the cohort of the 29% of the population who smoke, the most alarming statistic is the number of young girls taking up the habit. We must look at advertising in this context, where there is a bombardment of subliminal messages that smoking will make a girl look like Kate Moss or some other supermodel. There is a view among teenage girls that smoking acts as a diet suppressant and will enable them to attain a model figure. These subliminal messages put huge pressure on young girls in terms of diet and the attraction of smoking. Of all the cohorts we should be targeting, young people, particularly young girls, are the most important.

I speak more as a father than a politician in observing that while many male role models are healthy individuals - rugby players, soccer players, hurlers and so on - some of the role models presented to young girls are not so positive. The physical ideal of tall and thin puts great pressure on girls from an early age. Advertising can feed on this insecurity with messages that if girls smoke they will eat less and end up looking like Kate Moss. It is an insidious and subliminal message that is being encouraged by tobacco companies throughout the world. Of that there is no doubt. In taking on the tobacco companies, we must highlight this aspect of their advertising.

The Health Service Executive has an obligation to promote the benefits of quitting smoking. The stark reality is that one in two smokers will die of tobacco-related illnesses. In other words, up to 6,000 people per year are dying as a consequence of nicotine addiction. As the Minister for State observed, it is alarming that despite all the efforts in this area in recent years, smokers continue to make up 29% of the population. This stubbornly high rate suggests we can only go so far in terms of the control of tobacco, restrictions of sale on age grounds, restrictions on the presentation of sale and this latest measure regarding tobacco packaging. What is required is a change of mindset in our society. That is happening to some extent, but we are behind other countries such as Australia. The latter is an extremely health-conscious nation where the importance of healthy living is promoted in schools, workplaces and so on. The messages regarding healthy living are part and parcel of people's everyday lifestyle. That is the most effective way of driving down the smoking rate in Ireland.

One could argue that our climate does not lend itself to encouraging people to do press-ups on beaches. However, we must devise more effective methods to encourage people to look after their health and live more active lives. In Cork, as elsewhere in the State, one sees slí na sláinte signs about the place. Walking groups are springing up throughout the country which encourage people of all ages - but mostly those in middle age and beyond - to be active. These organised walks and group support systems should be rolled out in communities throughout the State with the support of local authorities and in conjunction with the HSE. There must be active encouragement and support for people seeking to pursue a healthier lifestyle. That will involve a co-ordinated approach between local authorities, in devising walking routes, and the HSE in promoting the schemes. Schools also have a clear role to play. I hope we will see in the coming years a stronger emphasis on ensuring health promotion is at the centre of learning in primary schools, with all the benefits which flow from that.

As a small country, we have a very high success rate in various sports, boasting many national and international sports stars. There are soccer, rugby and GAA clubs in every town, village and parish yet teenagers continue to take up smoking at a very early age. I began smoking when I went to boarding school at 12 and half years of age. I am aware of how difficult it is to give up. For many smokers, their greatest regret in life is starting to smoke. If we can prevent teenagers from taking up the habit, it will have a positive effect in driving down the stubbornly high smoking rate. As a person who struggles with and occasionally succumbs to nicotine addiction, I find nicotine replacement therapies useful. Perhaps it is merely psychological, but they certainly help me in times of stress.

In this old life, one experiences lots of stress. I hope the Minister could consider arrangements through the medical card service for people to access nicotine replacement aids for a certain number of days to help them stop smoking. It is expensive, but I believe such a service is available through the National Health Service in England. I am not making political points, but ask the Government to consider this as a public health measure.

As 29% of the population smoke, it is quite clear that public policy is not driving down that figure. I think this Bill is a very welcome measure. I would nearly welcome tobacco companies such as Philip Morris flexing their muscle because it might expose the tobacco industry for what it is. The tobacco industry is powerful with significant resources behind it. Consider the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement which was the basis for legislation in the United States where, without admitting liability, tobacco companies coughed up significant sums to various US states that took actions against Philip Morris and others to mitigate against the contingent liability of costs relating to smoking illness in the years to date and in the future. The tobacco companies argue that smoking is not bad for the person, but indirectly they are funding some of the fallout in health spending.

While the measures in the Bill will help, we need a stronger, deeper and more focused aggressive campaign at all levels to promote a healthy lifestyle and encourage people not to take up smoking. I believe there is a strong role for sports people and others to whom young people look up in strategies to tackle smoking. Sports people can promote a healthy lifestyle and encourage younger people not to start smoking. There is peer pressure on youngsters to buy the packet of cigarettes and head out to the back of the school and start smoking. It can spiral from there. The statistics show that those who start young are enslaved for much longer. Some 5,500 people die each year from smoking-related illnesses. There is a major drain on health service resources for the provision of care to those suffering from smoking related illnesses. Nobody wants to single out a group of people and stigmatise them for smoking, but at all stages we must encourage and convince them that what they are doing is harmful to themselves. I think helplines and campaigns to quit smoking, followed up by assistance to deal with the addiction of nicotine and wean a person off it may be measures that should be considered in a stronger way.

The Minister said that a tobacco company is taking the Government to court. The tobacco companies have flexed their muscle all over the world, but at the end of the day there should be no sympathy for tobacco companies. I do not think the chief executive of Philip Morris or any other tobacco company will go to a hospice to express sympathy to those families of people who died from smoking or pick up the bill at the end of the day. They are unscrupulous in the way they aggressively target people and market their products, in the full knowledge that they are harmful and damaging to the health of the population. When one visits countries where the control of tobacco is not heavily regulated, it is quite clear that the tobacco companies target the youngest, children who are aged from only six to eight years. That is indicative of how low these companies will stoop to further enslave more people to their products for one motive, profit and greed at any cost. I support the Minister in aggressively combating those actions by the tobacco companies and I hope many other countries will bring forward strong tobacco control legislation and resist any pressure from these bully boy companies. Australia has taken the lead and we should examine this with a view to learning from the health promotion measures it has put in place.

It is proposed to place graphic photographs on cigarette packaging and this will make people become more aware of the dangers of smoking and its consequences for their health. The Minister suggested that it also raises awareness among non-smokers of the damage that smoking can cause to the health of an individual and the broader society.

The introduction of the ban on smoking in the workplace in 2004 was a very positive step. There was considerable resistance to it, more from the fear of change in the way we socialise. It has, however, been embraced by people and inspections by the control of tobacco unit, now subsumed into the HSE, show there is strong compliance in public houses and the broader workplace. It is the people who really police the ban, individuals acting collectively in society. It would be frowned upon if a person decided to light up a cigarette in a hotel foyer or in a bar. That is now completely unacceptable behaviour. If we can change the mindset of those who smoke when they are out socialising, at a time when they are most open to temptations, we should be able to change the mindset of how people view health promotion and the consequences of smoking, obesity and other behaviours. Health promotion should be taken across all areas.

What the smoking ban shows is that if there is a strong legislative framework, with implementation supported by enforcement and a consistent coherent campaign of education, advertising and promotion, people will begin to listen.

I could enumerate the damaging effects on human health, but the pictures are worth a thousand words. I hope this measure will discourage people from starting to smoke and encourage others to stop smoking. I welcome the Bill and I hope not only Ireland but the countries of the European Union will embrace it fully. I commend it to the House.

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