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IRELAND MAY recover its leading position in Europe as the State that does most to control the use of tobacco products because of a number of policy decisions that have been taken in recent months. An increase of 50 cent in the price of a packet of 20 cigarettes in the Budget, along with a ban on tobacco advertising and displays in retail premises that will take effect from next July, are likely to have a significant impact on tobacco consumption, particularly among young people. More could be done in providing stop-smoking services and in funding public information campaigns but these recent policy decisions represent a significant advance.

Smoking-related illnesses kill more than 6,000 people in this State every year and cause untold misery to tens of thousands of others whose quality of life has been seriously impaired through the use of this highly addictive drug. The cost of providing health services to those directly affected has been estimated at about €1 billion. Efforts by health services to protect the consumer have been seriously undermined by aggressive promotional advertising by tobacco companies, determined to maximise their profits.