Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 30 Jan 1964

Vol. 207 No. 2

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cigarette Smoking Dangers.

1.

asked the Minister for Health if he will state, in view of the American report on cigarette smoking and its relationship to lung cancer, bronchitis and coronary heart disease, what action he proposes to take to deal with the danger to public health said to be associated with cigarette smoking; and whether he will arrange that the report is made available in the Library.

A copy of the Report referred to in the Question has been made available in the Library. Immediately after the Report was published, I indicated that, when it had been examined in detail in my Department, I would issue a statement on it. That statement was issued yesterday. I have sent a copy of it to each Deputy and Senator. Among the further steps which are being considered to discourage the use of cigarettes is the feasibility of imposing a measure of control over advertisements relating to them.

While welcoming the attempts to deal with the problem, may I ask the Minister whether he has considered the most economic form of education by the Department? Could he lay down that the newspaper advertisements would have to incorporate a statement that cigarettes were dangerous to health and in that way get the tobacco companies to pay for that propaganda?

As the Deputy should well know, because I have told him several times, I have no power to censor any advertisement published by the newspapers. I would require statutory authority to do that.

Does the Minister not agree that it is possible for this House to take any power it feels it needs in the interests of the health of the community and, in fact, do we not insist that there are certain substances which may not be advertised for consumption in the usual advertising media: the radio, television and the newspapers?

The Deputy seems to think the Minister for Health is a dictator and that he has totalitarian powers in regard to these matters. Legislation to be passed by this House is a matter for the House, and I am not so certain the House would adopt the view the Deputy always expresses here that we should compel other people to do what he thinks is good for them.

I am pointing out a very good precedent.

Barr
Roinn