Passive smoke law setback for pub ban

THE smoking ban hit a setback last night when the Taoiseach confirmed that new laws will be needed to list passive smoke as a cancer-causing substance.

The exemptions to the ban were finalised by the Cabinet yesterday to include guest houses, bed and breakfasts, hostels, accommodation provided for education or charitable purposes and the Central Mental Hospital, as well as outdoor places, prisons, psychiatric hospitals, hospices, nursing homes and hotel bedrooms.

While the smoking ban will now go ahead towards the end of February, with all the exemptions in place, its enforcement will be hampered by the absence of the parallel move to designate environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) as a carcinogen.