Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We will not support the Bill because it is not the step forward in tackling smoking the State needs. Under-18s smoke and have access to cigarettes. If we are concerned with enforcement, maybe that is where we should be concentrating instead creating a new law that will not be enforceable and will be flouted.

With this Bill, we are creating a situation where 18-year-olds can go into a premises if they want and buy alcohol - not just beer or wine, but hard spirits like whiskey and vodka, which are damaging alcohols. People can gamble every penny they have the minute they turn 18 years of age, if that is what they choose. The reason is that 18 years of age is the age of adulthood. We just had elections. People can vote at 18 years of age. They can also get married at 18, but they will not be able to buy cigarettes. Are we creating a two-tier system?

The Minister outlined the public health issues related to smoking. If he is that concerned and serious, why not ban smoking? If he goes down this road, will he do the same in respect of alcohol? Some people say that alcohol does more damage to the public health of the country than smoking, yet the Minister never touched on those figures.

I smoked most of my life. It is a horrible thing to do. My wife always hated it. I have lost family members to lung cancer. I would love it if no one smoked, but people choose to smoke. What the Minister is seeking to do is change the permissible age, but that is wrong.

The Minister cited some statistics and I will do so as well. In the 1990s, three areas of Massachusetts implemented a vigorous enforcement campaign against under-age tobacco sales. They outlined a promise like the one the Minister has outlined today.

The results showed that smoking rates among teens increased and teenagers did not find it any more difficult to access tobacco.

With regard to the lead-in time, are people going to go to bed on 31 January 2028 and wake up the following day not being able to purchase tobacco? Will it be phased in? Will there be a cut-off?

To go back to the point my colleague Deputy Cullinane made on vaping, this is the real issue that should have been tackled. If the Minister wanted to tackle something, the number of young people vaping has spiralled. Last year, the Minister announced he was exploring banning certain flavours, particularly those targeted at young people. There is a big public health issue with vaping. The 2019 ESPAD survey highlighted a worrying increase in vaping among teenagers and an increased likelihood that teenagers who vape will also smoke cigarettes. Studies in Britain have found increases in vaping among young people and this is leading to smoking and wider health inequalities. Other findings are that vaping leads to delinquency and people using alcohol more. Alongside these are studies that show specific damage is done by tobacco and nicotine to the brains of young people. However, young people will still be able to buy vapes with nicotine. Is this right? People aged 18 will not be able to buy a cigarette but they will be able to buy nicotine and put it into their vapes.

People can walk outside of Leinster House today and go into a shop and buy candy floss, Red Bull and pink lemonade vapes with beautiful pink and yellow colours specifically targeted at younger people. The Minister has done nothing to ban these. I was in a shop the other day. We have banned the advertising of cigarettes but does the Minister know what is on the cigarette machines now? It is vaping products. The Minister has done nothing to ban their advertisement, especially those targeted at young people. The Bill is being rushed through. So much more could have been done.

There are big problems in the health service. We have a trolley crisis and a waiting list crisis. We also have big issues with access to mental health services and addiction services. We cannot get beds or get people into treatment. We are worried about young people. These are young people who are vulnerable and need support. Where is the Bill for them? The sentiment of the Bill might be right but there are big issues in public health that should have been tackled.

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