Protection of Children (Tobacco) Bill (Hansard, 1 July 1986)

My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a third time.

I should like to say a few words on the Bill. I particu-larly congratulate the honourable Member for East Lothian whose Bill it really is on having taken up this particular cause after winning a place in the ballot. I also feel that we should thank the Government for their very helpful approach to the Bill. The Government have been of assistance throughout the proceedings and we express our thanks to them.

I should like to say a little about why we have this Bill. While adults are reducing their smoking, youngsters seem to be increasing theirs. This is quite 759 serious. Thirty years ago 75 per cent. of men smoked cigarettes and 50 per cent. of women smoked cigarettes. Today 34 per cent. of men and 30 per cent. of women smoke cigarettes. Yet a survey carried out in 1984 by the Office of Population Census and Surveys, covering 9,234 pupils in almost 300 schools in Great Britain, showed that 22 per cent. of all secondary school pupils were smokers; that 13 per cent. were regular smokers who were smoking more than 50 cigarettes a day; and that 9 per cent. were occasional smokers. What is worse, a similar survey showed that there was a steady increase in smoking by youngsters. In fact, in every age group except fourth-year pupils there had been an increase. For the fourth-year pupils there was a decrease in smoking by boys but, even there, an increase was recorded in the number of girls who smoked. Therefore, we are dealing with something which is quite serious.

It is estimated that in the same year of 1984 youngsters spent between £70 million and £90 million on cigarettes; yet in 1984 only 45 prosecutions for selling cigarettes to youngsters took place. I notice that noble Lords are concerned about the time, but I need to make some points on this Bill and this is the occasion for me to do so. I hope that your Lordships will recognise why this is necessary. We hope that the Bill will remedy the situation and that there will be more successful prosecutions.

The Bill also amends the definition of "tobacco" to include smokeless tobacco. This will enable the sale to children of Skoal Bandits to be banned. This is a tobacco product for oral use. They are teabag-like sachets of moist tobacco intended to be placed between the cheek and the gum and sucked. They are flavoured like sweets. What is worse, each sachet contains 2.8 per cent. of nicotine, which is very much greater than the amount of nicotine in one cigarette. Medical evidence shows that extensive use of this product can cause cancer of the mouth which, I can assure your Lordships, is a very unpleasant disease which is extremely difficult to treat.

During my Second Reading speech—and your Lordships will now see why I wished to speak at this stage—I said that Skoal Bandits were banned in New Zealand and that the Japanese Government had refused permission to manufacturers of tobacco sachets to open a factory in Japan. I was wrong. The Japanese Government have no power to prohibit the importation of smokeless tobacco which is at present classified as a vegetable. The Minister of Health and Welfare, however, has indicated that smokeless tobacco is harmful to health.

I was also wrong, technically, in regard to New Zealand. The Minister of Health is in the process of having Skoal Bandits banned on the recommendation of the Toxic Substances Board. However, in order to do that the Toxic Substances Act 1979 needs to be amended. The Minister of Health has indicated that he hopes that the appropriate amendment will be put through this year. I was wrong on both counts and I want to correct the error.

I end by thanking the Government for the part they have played in piloting the Bill through your Lordships' House. I also want to ask them to use their influence with the prosecuting authorities to ensure 760 that the provisions of the Bill are enforced. It is no use passing laws which cannot be enforced. We must ensure that this law is enforced. We owe it to the children to do everything possible to prevent them from starting to smoke. I beg to move that the Bill be now read a third time.