Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 December 2007
231 Deputy James Reilly asked the Minister for Health and Children the process by which the minimum price of various packets of 20 cigarettes is calculated; the legislative provisions that support this measure; the reasoning behind the recent increase in the minimum price of some cigarettes which occurred on 19 November 2007; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33330/07]
View answerMy Department sets a minimum price for three categories of cigarettes (plain unfiltered cigarettes, filtered cigarettes of less than 80 mm in overall length and filtered cigarettes of 80 mm and over in overall length) based on data compiled annually by an independent firm of chartered accountants. The Tobacco Products (Control of Advertising, Sponsorship and Sales Promotion) Regulations (S.I. No. 326 of 1991) as amended by the Tobacco Products (Control of Advertising, Sponsorship and Sales Promotion)(Amendment) Regulations, 2000 (S.I. No. 35 of 2000) provides the legislative basis for this measure.
Smoking is the largest single cause of preventable mortality in Ireland, killing 6,500 people every year. Maintaining a floor price for cigarettes is an important component in national tobacco control policy, particularly in preventing young people's initiation and subsequent addiction to tobacco.
