Smoking ban ‘will hit homeless centres’

A NATIONAL homeless agency yesterday called for exemptions to the planned smoking ban in the workplace or for a phased introduction followed by an evaluation of its impact.

And an agency setting up a drop-in service for active drug users in Dublin intends to allow clients to smoke in the centre, despite the introduction of the ban on January 1 next.

Homeless organisation Focus Ireland said some of its crisis services, such as drop-in centres, could not be treated as normal workplaces.