Bar sales drop as smoking ban bites

THE smoking ban continues to have an adverse effect on Irish pubs, with bar sales dropping 5.3% in August, according to new figures.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) retail sales show that while bar sales in August grew over July's figures, they plunged year-on-year.

Over the three months period, which analysts view as a better measure, bar sales fell 4% between May and July.