Changes in life-style, driven by Government taxation and health policies, are increasingly evident. And nowhere has this been more obvious than in relation to the consumption of tobacco and alcohol.
The ban on smoking in the workplace has had a far-reaching, but little discussed, impact on those who use tobacco products. Earlier this year, specially designated smoking rooms disappeared in factories and office buildings and groups of workers can now be seen huddled around chilly doorways, in the open air, as they smoke their cigarettes. The situation is even more fraught for pub-users, who must leave heated and lighted premises at night in order to indulge their habit.
Such discomfort has a direct impact on cigarette sales. Price is also an inhibiting factor. In the first 10 months of this year, the volume of tobacco sales fell by almost 18 per cent as people stopped or cut down on their smoking. Consumption also fell in 2003 when cigarette duty was sharply increased in the Budget. The effect of the smoking ban was expected to reduce tobacco consumption and Government revenue by €70 million this year. But the real cost may exceed €128 million. It is a loss the Government is happy to absorb because, in the longer term, reduced healthcare costs and greater productivity will more than compensate for this temporary shortfall in revenue.
The Minister for Finance, Mr Cowen, commented that the drop in consumption proved the Government's "brave" decision to ban smoking in the workplace had been a good public health initiative. Certainly, it was effective. And recently, health agencies have urged Mr Cowen to raise the excise duty on cigarettes as a means of discouraging young people from smoking. Surveys have shown that an estimated 80 per cent of tobacco users become addicted between the ages of 14 and 18 years. The Minister may decide to take that advice in the Budget, on Wednesday.
Publicans have been particularly vocal about the negative impact the smoking ban has had on their businesses. And there is no denying the smoking ban has affected the traditional trade. But high prices have also been a contributory factor. The trend towards wine-drinking has accelerated. And anecdotal evidence would suggest that a significant number of people are now opting to buy alcohol in off-licences in order to enjoy good value - and sometimes a cigarette - at home. Changes in lifestyle naturally occur as society develops and people enjoy higher disposable incomes. In these particular cases, however, Government policy has also contributed to change and to an improvement in the quality of life for the majority of citizens.