Group raises €10,000 to fight smoke ban

AN IRISH group spearheading a European legal challenge to the workplace smoking ban has managed to raise close to €10,000 in just 10 days to fight its case.

However, the Government has promised to fight fire with fire, saying that any challenge to the ban will be “defended robustly”.

Close to 100 pubs around the country are stocking fundraising lighters produced and distributed by the European Smokers Against Discrimination (ESAD) group. It says the number of pubs joining the scheme continues to grow on a near daily basis.