Colm Burke (Fine Gael)

This Bill is welcome. We have a problem in this country. The current smoking rate is approximately 29%. Although we were not talking about smoking this morning, I mentioned an EU study that was published yesterday which reported that 16% of young people between the ages of 15 and 24 have used substances that are available on the market to give them illegal highs and that 32% of young people have accessed ecstasy without any difficulty. Those figures remind us of the need for education about the misuse of drugs and the health issues associated with smoking. We should set clear targets as we set out on this long road over the next five years. It will not be easy to solve the problems in this difficult area. This Bill is timely. The Office of the Attorney General was right to advise the Department to ensure all angles are covered. The Minister of State and her officials in the Department are to be thanked for responding so quickly to that advice.