Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Health his plans to launch a public awareness campaign to highlight the dangers associated with the purchase of illegal cigarettes on the street or at markets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57834/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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All tobacco products, whether legally produced, illicit or counterfeit are injurious to health and are therefore a threat to public health. I am concerned about the level of smoking in Ireland and it remains my objective that Ireland moves towards being a tobacco free society.

The Revenue Commissioners are responsible for tackling the illicit trade in cigarettes and tobacco products. They attach a high priority to tackling this trade because of the threat that it poses to society. In 2012, over 95 million illicit cigarettes were seized and there were 132 convictions for the smuggling or selling of illicit cigarettes or other tobacco products.

Revenue’s “Strategy on Combating the Illicit Tobacco Trade (2011-2013)”, which is published on the Revenue website (www. revenue.ie), includes a range of measures designed to complement each other in targeting the supply and demand sides of the market for illicit cigarettes and other tobacco products. My Department and the HSE strongly support this Strategy.

One of the actions identified in the strategy is to reduce the demand for illicit products by educating the public about their negative consequences. For that reason, Revenue seeks to optimise media coverage for significant seizures and other enforcement action against the illicit tobacco trade, and for prosecutions and convictions for offences relating to illicit tobacco products. All suitable opportunities are availed of to highlight and publicise the dangers associated with the illicit trade and to encourage members of the public to provide information on the sale or supply of illicit tobacco products.

The Report of the Tobacco Policy Review Group which will be published in the coming months will consider ways to denormalise smoking in society such as extending tobacco control legislation in particular for situations where children are present. It will also consider social marketing and educational programmes. The Report will include a section on the illicit trade of tobacco, including the work of the Revenue Commissioners.