The Minister for Health has indicated there will be no specific cost to the Exchequer related to the introduction of standard packaging.

However, speaking in the Dáil, Dr James Reilly said that since the intent of the measures outlined in ‘Tobacco Free Ireland’ was to reduce tobacco use, it could, in the absence of future increases in Excise rates, lead to a reduction in Excise receipts from tobacco, which in 2012 yielded €1.072 billion.

“Any impact on Excise receipts needs to be set against the economic costs of deaths and illness attributable to smoking,” clarified Minister Reilly, in response to questioning by Deputy Colm Keaveney. European research on the issue indicated that a conservative estimate of this for 2009 was in the region of €664 million.

This was composed of €498 million in health expenditure on smoking related areas, €15 million in productivity losses due to absenteeism and €151 million in productivity losses due to long term incapacity, explained the Minister.

His comments came as an Australian study has found a 78 per cent increase in the number of calls to its smoking cessation helpline, Quitline, was associated with the introduction of plain packaging.