Smokers are 'drug addicts', says public health minister Anna Soubry Speaking at an event in Parliament, Mrs Soubry, an ex-smoker herself, said she realised this was the right description for smokers after her daughter delivered her the stinging rebuke five years ago. "Children are a very effective way of putting out public health messages," Mrs Soubry said. I am the person told by her elder daughter - I don't know where she gets it from, she is very outspoken - she told me I was a drug addict because I used to smoke a cigarette. She was of course right. This had a profound effect on me. It is one of the reasons five years ago I gave up smoking. The minister also spoke of her support for compulsory cooking lessons in schools to stop children becoming obese. At the event for the National Obesity Forum, she said the new classes would make sure children cook healthy food. Children should learn how to "take a cheap cut of meat and make it last," rather than cooking "lemon meringue pie" like they did in past decades, she added. I think [the return of cooking] is brilliant. I just want to make sure youngsters are taught to cook great food as opposed to the sort of meals I was taught," Mrs Soubry said. The public health minister's attitudes towards weight and food have caused controversy since she was appointed in the last reshuffle. Earlier this year, she told The Daily Telegraph is easy to identify the poorest people because many of them are overweight or obese.