Interviews by Kitty Holland
Michael Colgan
Director of the Gate Theatre
Michael Colgan, gave up his beloved cigars at the start of the year in anticipation of the ban.
"The ban was the fillip I needed. I was off the cigarettes for 11 years and then went back on cigars four years ago, and if I didn't have Havana cigars in the evening I might start stealing cigarettes. But I was the quintessential social smoker - I only ever smoked at night and I was never out buying big packets of cigarettes. But there wasn't a day I didn't smoke. Overall, I am delighted with the ban though a little bit concerned at the 100 per centness of it. For instance, in Act II of Harold Pinter's play The Homecoming everyone is smoking cigars. Does this mean I can never do this play again? I am worried about Mr Pinter's rights. Giving up was difficult in the first two or three weeks but I just avoided going to places where I might be tempted. And every morning I woke up as a non-smoker I thought, 'Yes, terrific'. I don't want to be a smoker."
Marc MacSharry
Fianna Fáil Senator
Marc MacSharry (30) was smoking his "last" cigarette when he spoke to The Irish Times yesterday.
"I've been smoking since I was 14 and given up a good few times over the years. I'd smoke a pack of Silk Cut Blue a day. If I was out it might extend into a second pack. I ended up off them for a few months last year, went back on them and was really annoyed with myself. So I made the decision a while ago that this ban was going to remove the opportunities to go back on them. If someone was to give up on Monday it would always be the pub on Friday where they'd end up back on them. The reason I'm giving up is health basically. It gets to the stage where you wake in the morning and have to go through the ritual of coughing your lungs up for 10 minutes - that's OK when you're 30, but some day I'd be 50 or 70 and it would be cancer. I'd say 20 per cent of smokers are going to give up because of this ban."
Nell McCafferty, writer
Nell McCafferty (60) was going to give up cigarettes to coincide with the ban but has decided to "stay at home in a huff" instead.
"It was my intention to give up and I will some day but I think this ban is rather too sweeping. I smoke Benson and Hedges - as many as I can a day but it's difficult to get past 40. I'm not worried about the health implications because as far as I can see I'm healthier than most people and sure we're surrounded by health implications. So I am going to stay home in a huff for a while. If they want to play rough I'm going to play rough too. I am going to demand giant ashtrays every 100 yards on the street."