Toddy O'Sullivan
Ceist:9 Mr. T. O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if he will have consultations with the Minister for Finance in relation to the price of cigarettes in time for the next budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Price of Cigarettes.
I have received a report from the Advisory Committee on Health Promotion relating to cigarette price and consumption trends which I have made available to my colleague, the Minister for Finance, in relation to the preparation of the 1991 budget.
Will the Minister say if the cost to the Exchequer, and the health services in particular, is in any way compensated by the income from tax on tobacco? Will he say if he will move, or ask the Minister for Finance to move, to bridge that obvious gap between the cost to the taxpayer of providing health services caused directly or indirectly from cigarette smoking?
It has been the policy of successive Ministers for Health to take and recommend whatever measures are necessary to reduce the level of smoking. We have been singularly successful here in that the number of people smoking has reduced from 47 per cent in the mid-seventies to 27 per cent now. I understand that we have the second highest price for cigarettes in the European Community. We continue to monitor the position.
Is the Minister aware of a significant increase in the number of young women smoking? Will he consider putting to the Minister for Finance proposals to earmark some of the revenue from cigarettes for the health services?
The second question is primarily one for the Minister for Finance. My answer to the first part of the Deputy's question is that I am aware of the increase in the number of young women smoking. A number of measures have been taken over the last couple of years to try to make the public more aware of the dangers of smoking. I hope that the introduction of the tobacco regulations will have a major impact in drawing attention to the dangers of cigarette smoking.
Will the Minister agree that one step that could be taken to reduce cigarette consumption would be a total ban on cigarette advertising in the media?
The Deputy will be aware that advertising on the electronic media is not allowed here. There is advertising in the print media, with restrictions. For example, advertisements cannot glamorise tobacco smoking and 15 per cent of the advertisement must contain a warning. Successive Ministers, back to 1978 when the first legislation was introduced, have been committed to reducing the incidence of disease caused by the use of tobacco. One of the reasons there is not a total ban on the print media here is that so much of the media read here comes from countries that do not have restrictions. I am glad that we went a step towards a joint European approach at the meeting of the Council of Ministers in Brussels on 17 May. I hope that approach will come if not in the next Presidency certainly in the Presidency that follows.