Fiona O'Malley (Progressive Democrats)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I disagree with Senator Fitzgerald when she says this legislation is watering down prohibition. To my mind it strengthens prohibition. She made the point that the law will not be as strong on retailers. The measures remain in place but it is at the discretion of the judge. That is not watering down prohibition. Section 6 in particular is an anti-smoking measure and is the reason this Bill should be welcomed.

It is a measure of how unfamiliar I am with cigarettes that I thought the photographs were already on packets of cigarettes sold here because when one sees somebody with a packet of cigarettes one captures those photographs, so to speak. They are horrific and graphic but they are a reality. It is vitally important that section 6 is enabled and that photographs of this nature are put on packets of cigarettes.

Branding was the big thing in tobacco advertising, particularly in America with products like Marlboro or whatever. I do not want to name certain brands but they had a cachet attached to them. If this horrific photograph of the consequences of smoking was printed on a large part of a packet of cigarettes, with a tiny part showing the brand name, we will not see people sitting at a table with a packet of cigarettes beside them. Senator Feeney has shown me some of the photographs and they are horrifying. People would think twice about picking up a packet of something that will result in those terrible ailments. The sooner this legislation is brought in, section 6 enacted and these photographs appear on packets of cigarettes, the better.

I am concerned about a comment the Minister made about duty free operations. Coming back to the issue of the branding, if duty free shops are now allowed to display photographs, the photograph of the ailment is vitally important. If there are pictures of all the diseases one might contract, whether it is impotence, throat cancer or whatever, the sales of cigarettes will decrease enormously because nobody will want to buy a cancer, which is essentially what they will be doing. We must package and market cigarettes as cancer causing instruments. When we do that, and in a bold and brave way, we will see the number of smokers decline. That is what the legislation should be about.

Senator Feeney referred to Ireland's reputation. When I travel abroad, it gives me great comfort to hear people compliment Ireland on our pioneering legislation on smoking and plastic bags. We should remain at the forefront of this issue. I welcome the legislation and look forward to seeing hideous photographs on cigarette packets.