asked the Minister for Health if, in view of his recent decision to restrict the usage of the drug preludin, believed to be a possible source of danger to health, he will consider introducing similar or more stringent restrictions on the use of cigarettes now known to be a danger to health, and to have a definite effect in the causation of lung cancer.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cigarette Smoking Restrictions.
12.
Under the regulations recently made by me, the drug preludin may be sold by retail only on medical prescription and only by pharmaceutical chemists and dispensing chemists and druggists. If it is suggested that similar or more stringent restrictions would be appropriate for cigarettes, I would not regard this as reasonable.
On the general issue of the dangers of smoking, I have made my position quite clear in replies to earlier Parliamentary Questions and in my statement introducing the Estimate for my Department on 10th April last, which is reported in Columns 1682-1684 of the Dáil Debates for that date.
Can the Minister explain the inconsistency between his decision to restrict the use of what is only, after all, a possible source of danger to the individual, while he refuses to restrict the use of something which is known to be a real danger?
The two positions are quite different. The Minister could make regulations in regard to the use of preludin which is only used as a drug——
Could the Minister say if it has anything to do with finance?
——but tobacco is used by the public generally as a luxury.
There is no explanation.
Question No. 13 postponed.