Martin moves from banning cigarette vending machines to restriction plan

The announcement by the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, about severely restricting cigarette vending machines is "sneaky and underhand", according to the Irish Cigarette Machine Operators Association.

The ICMOA was reacting to an initial announcement by the Minister yesterday that vending machines and packets of 10 cigarettes would be banned if a Bill, for which approval had been granted, was passed by the Oireachtas. The Department later said the machines would not be banned but severely curtailed.

Timed to coincide with Ash Wednesday, Mr Martin said his office would now draft the Public Health and Tobacco Bill "as a matter of priority".

His office was in a "battle against tobacco", he added.

The ICMOA said the plans to curtail vending machines came "despite assurances [to the association] to the contrary". Spokesman Mr Gerry Lawler said the association had been "shocked and amazed" by yesterday's announcement.

"He assured us several months ago that he would not take these extreme measures, that he would not put small businesses out of business," Mr Lawler said.

"He has cancelled four scheduled meetings since then and we are constantly trying to make contact with his office. At this point, speaking for just myself, I employ one person. It is a small family business and we do not know where we stand or where we are going in the future. Our association is absolutely livid."

The Department issued a statement yesterday evening saying cigarette vending machines would be confined to locations "under the direct control of the vendor", and "would be behind or on the counter". Details will be available "when the Bill is completed", it said.

Meanwhile, Miss Ireland, Ms Yvonne Ellard, said she was giving up smoking. Wishing her well, the Minister of State for Health, Ms Mary Hanafin, said the problem of smoking among teenage girls was acute.

"By deciding to quit smoking or not to start, they are improving their skin, their teeth and their overall health in the long term," she said.

Construction workers can win a holiday for two in Florida if they enter a "Quit Smoking" competition run by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Construction Employees Health Trust. It is estimated that 40,000 construction workers smoke and are among those most at risk from cancer and heart disease. The competition was announced by the Minister at the Dublin Docklands Development Authority offices yesterday.