Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There was much discussion about plain tobacco packaging again in the media over the past two days. I understand legislation in this regard was brought to the Cabinet earlier today and will be initiated in the Seanad. The tobacco lobby,as all Members know, is a strong one. When this matter was discussed at EU level, it practically had one lobbyist per two Members of the European Parliament, such is the money expended and the amount at stake for the tobacco industry with this new legislation. Up to 78% of current smokers started before the age of 18. The marketing and packaging of cigarettes is particularly targeted at those under the age of 18 to initiate the habit at a young age. Plain packaging will limit the tobacco industry’s ability to reach young people by using marketing techniques that are intentionally misleading.

All citizens, especially children, should have a right to be protected from the marketing of a highly addictive and seriously harmful product. The tobacco industry has promoted the argument that this will impact on counterfeiting and increase illegal activities. I hope we, as legislators, will have the courage to stand up to the lobby. It is at a stage where legislation should go through. Some ten years ago we became the first country in Europe to introduce a smoking ban and it would be very fitting, a decade later, if we became the first county in the EU to compel tobacco companies to use plain packaging.