Almost a year ago, the Minister for Health and Children, Mr Martin, promised to introduce radical anti-smoking legislation that would confine the sale of cigarettes to over-18s, ban the sale of ten-packs and force the industry to disclose details of the additives they put in tobacco. Since then, at least 7,000 Irish people have died from smoke-related diseases. But the promised legislation has not materialised. Last Tuesday, Mr Martin repeated his promise to crack down on the tobacco industry as a curtain-raiser to the Lenten period. There is a whiff of a well-oiled public relations exercise about it all. For, while the outline of the legislation has been agreed by Cabinet and is expected to be published before the summer, it may be another year before it becomes law. It's not good enough. If 7,000 citizens were killed in any other fashion there would be political uproar and emergency legislation would be rushed through the Dail. But the tobacco industry is so powerful that it has withstood the efforts of successive governments to curb its activities, even though the lethal effect of its products has been known for decades. Still, Mr Martin has made some progress. Last year, the minister took an important step when he banned all advertising of tobacco products. And the general thrust of his approach - under the long-promised legislation - will target young people, who are most likely to take up smoking.
Recent surveys have shown that young people, and in particular young women, are most at risk from becoming addicted to nicotine. Registering all outlets and making it illegal to sell the product to persons under 18 years will be an important development. But enforcing the law is the key. In that regard, a recent survey by the Western Health Board found that a majority of tobacconists in the west were selling cigarettes to children under 14 years of age. The removal of any "glamour" surrounding the product by ending high-profile sponsorship is also important. In addition to the 7,000 deaths a year, nicotine related diseases impose a huge cost on the health services and exact an enormous price in pain and suffering from the individuals concerned and from their families.
Preventative measures designed to discourage smoking are being drafted. But they do not go far enough. If, as the minister states, the battle against tobacco is one of the most important public health challenges we face and his ambition is to make this State a tobacco-free zone, he should take further action in relation to passive smoking. As things stand, the laws on smoking in public places and in restaurants are frequently ignored and rarely enforced. And there are no rules at all when it comes to smoke-filled bars, public houses and night clubs. It has been shown that "passive" smoking is a danger to health. Because of that, it is time the health of the general public was given precedence over both commercial interests and private addiction. A ban should be placed on smoking in all public, enclosed spaces. Pussy-footing around with the pretence of smoke-free zones in restaurants is an admission of weakness and an anticipation of failure. It is time all that changed.