Phase in smoking ban gradually, urges health board chief

A PUBLICAN who heads a health board denies there is a conflict of interest in calling for the gradual phasing-in of a blanket ban on smoking.

Galway Councillor Val Hanley, newly-appointed chairman of the Western Health Board, said he was in favour of a three-to five-year ‘lead-in’ period to get people used to the idea, rather than the “guillotine effect” proposed.

“The Irish psyche needs to adapt itself to socialising without cigarettes, and I think designating certain weekends as ‘no-smoking’ weekends could be part of a lead-in, rather than banning everyone from smoking from January 1 next.”