Smoking ban to come into effect on March 29th

Smoking will be banned in all workplaces, including pubs and restaurants, from March 29th, twelve months after the Minister for…

Smoking will be banned in all workplaces, including pubs and restaurants, from March 29th, twelve months after the Minister for Health first announced his plan.

It will contribute towards protecting the health of the nation
The Minister for Health, Mr Martin

At a press conference in Dublin today, Mr Martin said the first six weeks of the ban would be a period for workplaces "to show that they are compliant" with the new laws. All employers will be sent guidelines outlining their responsibility by the end of this week, he said.

Mr Martin said according to research from the Office of Tobacco Control, on January 27th this year 75 per cent of people drinking in bars were non-smokers and that contrary to concerns from the licence industry a greater proportion of people could decide to visit pubs.

The Minister was asked if his plan succeeded and a greater number of Irish people were drinking in pubs - was this not also a health risk?

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Mr Martin responded by saying it hopefully would lead to less incidences of people drinking at home where people often drink to excess and more where they enjoyed a pint socially.

The announcement of the date follows the expiry of a 90-day notice period for other EU countries to study the proposed legislation and raise objections. The legislation had to be sent to other EU countries a second time to include two exemptions added to the draft regulations in November 2003.

The exemptions cover prisons and outdoor work areas, psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes, sleeping accommodation in hotels, guest houses and B&Bs.

No objections to the scheme were received by February 16th when the notice period closed. It is understood the Cabinet discussed and approved the commencement date at yesterday's meeting.

Today the Minister stressed the exemptions do not permit or allow smoking it "only confers the right not to be penalised for non-enforcement". He said every employer has a duty of care to an employee.

Mr Martin said the smoking ban was a "positive and progressive health and safety measure". The ban had the support of smokers and non-smokers alike in the general public, he said.

"It will contribute towards protecting the health of the nation," he added.

Officers from two bodies, the Office of Tobacco Control and the Health and Safety Authority will jointly police the ban.

Mr Martin said there had been "a ground swell of support from many sectors, political, public and private that has been visible, vocal and convincing".

Anticipating high rate of compliance from most law abiding people, Mr Martin said he was confident that "people will adjust, just as they did when in cinemas, theatres, hairdressing salons and airplanes".

Behind the ban, said Mr Martin, was the fact that "passive smoke exposure increases the risk of stroke by 82 per cent". And he dismissed "those in the tobacco industry, who, putting self interest above public interest, try to refute or play down the risk to second hand tobacco smoke".