People will always find a way, says cigar buff

A KEEN cigar smoker, John Howard ran the Le Coq Hardi restaurant in Ballsbridge, Dublin for more than 20 years. It closed in 2001 on his retirement. Tonight, Mr Howard will attend a cigar smoking party at the Silks Club casino in Dublin to mark the onset of the ban.

"I've always smoked Cuban cigars but I've never really smoked cigarettes. They don't do anything for me. I'd smoke about two Cuban cigars a day.

"It's probably from a selfish point of view but I think there should have been an exemption for cigars.