Today is National No Smoking Day when, according to the Irish Cancer Society, nearly a quarter of a million people in Ireland will try to stop smoking. Unfortunately, only a very small percentage of these people will still be off the cigarettes in two months' time.

As a society we need to do a lot more to make Ireland a tobacco-free society. The battle against tobacco is one of the most important public health challenges we face and one of the main priorities of this Government's health policy.

World statistics on smoking-related illness are startling. Every year over a million people in Europe die from smoking-related illnesses, while in the United States the direct and indirect costs associated with smoking amount to around $100 billion each year.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), smoking is now a global epidemic and it estimates that 10 million people will die each year from smoking by 2030.

The figures for Ireland are equally disturbing. Smoking-related illnesses account for about 7,000 deaths in Ireland each year. Around a third of Irish people smoke and as a nation we are starting younger and becoming addicted earlier, mostly in our teens. Young girls in particular are a major concern, with 40 per cent of girls aged 15-17 from low-income backgrounds smoking.

As a society we cannot sit idly by while our children get hooked on a killer substance. Already we have taken some effective steps. Ireland was one of the first countries to introduce restrictions on tobacco advertising and sponsorship by the tobacco industry - measures which have now become the international standard.

We were also among the first countries to recognise the inherent dangers of environmental tobacco smoke and to introduce bans on smoking in public spaces. Through the Health Promotion Unit we have started specific advertising and communication campaigns, together with community education initiatives, to encourage and provide support for people to give up smoking.

However, as the statistics show, we need to build on these initiatives and do much more. The Government is committed to strengthening its policies to stamp out tobacco use in Ireland.

Last year we published a report setting out ways that Ireland can become a tobacco-free zone. We are now acting on that report with the drafting of a Bill which will go even further in restricting tobacco use and promotion in Ireland. The Bill will provide a statutory basis for a new government agency, The Office of Tobacco Control, which will be responsible for promoting tobacco-free initiatives and for ensuring compliance with stronger tobacco laws. For example, people under the age of 18 will no longer be able to buy tobacco products.

The Bill will provide for a ban on the sale of packets of 10 cigarettes and on self-service and will introduce even tougher restrictions on advertising and sponsorship. The Office of Tobacco Control will also reinforce our efforts to protect against the harmful effects of passive smoking.

Tougher legislation is only one important part of the equation. We need a serious commitment to communication and education if as a society we are serious about promoting a healthier, tobacco-free lifestyle.

Sponsorship is one example in this area where we can take a more active role. I make no apologies for my decision last year to ban all forms of advertising and sponsorship of tobacco products. Make no mistake, the tobacco industry has consistently used sporting events to promote a harmful and socially destructive product. But we can beat them at their own game.

The Department of Health and Children and the Office of Tobacco Control's joint sponsorship of the Irish Masters Snooker tournament next month is a positive example. As an important step, we have replaced the tobacco industry's harmful advertising with a healthy anti-smoking message. I believe this is a good investment compared to the huge amount of money which is spent annually in Ireland treating the effects of tobacco smoke.

International research in the United States and Australia has also shown that anti-smoking sponsorship of sporting events is up to four times more effective than tobacco sponsorship in terms of sending a particular message to the population. And we need to send a clear, sustained message to the population, particularly young people: nicotine is a powerful, highly addictive and dangerous chemical and smoking is now one of our major health problems.

On this National No Smoking Day, the Government is 100 per cent committed to making Ireland a tobacco-free society and I would encourage all smokers to break the habit for good.