Companies and other workplaces are preparing for the smoking ban by closing down designated areas and issuing guidelines for compliance and implementation.
The ban will apply to all workplaces including licensed premises, restaurants, offices, shops, concert halls, theatres, registered clubs, hotels, general hospitals, schools, trains, ships and all public transport.
Guidelines on the smoking ban have been circulated by the employers' organisation IBEC to its 7,000 members and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) which has 5,000 members including human resource personnel.
One company, Guinness, is going a step further by establishing support and advice for those who wish to stop smoking through its medical department.
Mr Tony Driscoll, of IBEC, said it has received many calls from members concerning the detail of the regulations, for instance the situation on company cars and how to deal with people who do not comply.
Many were concerned about the display notices, whose name should go on it and to whom complaints should be notified.
"From the safety point of view, we're advising companies to be extra careful as smokers may go underground. Some companies are having to put in smoke detectors in toilets," he said.
At Guinness, which has 2,000 employees in the State, Mr Pat Barry said most of its sites were already smoke-free and indoor designated areas would close.
"Now we will have designated smoking areas outside. For instance, at St James Gate which is on 50-odd acres, we will have two garden areas but smoking will not be allowed in any other outside areas like car-parks," he said. The same applied to the Kilkenny and Dundalk breweries.
"We're also in the process of establishing support and advice for those who wish to stop smoking through our medical department and company doctors," Mr Barry said.
The CIPD is sending out fact sheets with guidelines to its members sponsored by Nicorette.
It describes the ban, gives the exceptions, steps to take now, including amending disciplinary procedures, and recommends five steps to take if employees smoke at work including informing them of the disciplinary procedures.
With regard to school premises and playgrounds, Mr Peter Mullen, of the INTO, said he believed the whole of the school premises would be included and this would mean playgrounds.
"Teachers never did smoke in the playgrounds and there was a code of practice to never smoke in front of children," Mr Mullen said.
An Irish Congress of Trade Unions spokesman said the ban was introduced in the interest of its members and was to be warmly welcomed. The onus was on employers to make sure people complied, he said.