We must push ahead with plain packaging and stand up to tobacco industry lobbying – Noone

Fine Gael Dublin Senator, Catherine Noone, has said that the Government must push ahead with plain packaging for cigarettes and stand up to lobbying from the well funded tobacco industry. 

“Despite the intense lobbying efforts of the very well resourced tobacco industry, I firmly believe that the Government must stand up to the tobacco lobbyists and push ahead with plain packaging for cigarettes, working to ensure that we achieve the same remarkable results as have been reached in Australia.

“The success of plain packaging in Australia is clear: since this was introduced in 2012, smoking has become less socially acceptable and the number of people smoking – particularly young people – has fallen dramatically. I believe the introduction of plain packaging here will have the same impact and, as such, we need to be pushing ahead with this plan as soon as possible.

“The tobacco industry would have us believe that this may result in an increase in counterfeiting, but I believe this not to be the case. A plain packet can contain more security features than a regular packet, and actually be harder to counterfeit than the current packaging.

“This issue should really only focus on one point however: will plain packaging discourage young people from taking up smoking? I believe the answer is an overwhelming ‘yes’, and for that reason alone we should press ahead. In effect, we need to make smoking as socially unacceptable as drink driving.

“This is an important piece of legislation, and we need to keep up the momentum. I urge the Government to implement it in the months ahead and to stand up to the tobacco lobby without compromise.”