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.

“More than 70% of people who use our crisis services smoke. If we say smoking is not allowed in these places, they won’t relax. It will be difficult to build a relationship and it may jeopardise it,” said Mamar Merzouk, director of research, development and education at Focus Ireland.

“These people don’t have a place to call home. They are smoking a lot because they have a lot of pressure and stress. We are trying to engage with them. We are trying to help them to help themselves. We need to build confidence and trust,” he said.

Because of this, the law on smoking could not be just introduced on a blanket basis from day one, he said.

“We should be looked at differently than pubs and hotels. There should be either exemptions for these kinds of services or a gradual introduction, subject to monitoring and evaluation.”

A community drug project in Tallaght, west Dublin, plans to allow people to smoke when it sets up a drop-in centre for active drug users. Liam O’Brien, of Killinarden Addiction Response Programme (KARP), said: “The advice we got is that you have to allow smoking. If you tell them they can’t smoke it would put them off. They won’t stay long enough to engage them.

“We would be concerned if someone takes a lawsuit in the future because we allowed smoking, but we have to take that risk,” he added.

Mr O’Brien said they hoped to be able to provide non-judgmental advice to active drug users through the drop-in centre.

Tommy Larkin of UISCE, a lobby group for current and former drug users, said he was against a strict ban on smoking in places like drop-in centres for addicts.

“I think it will have a bad effect, people just won’t stay there and if they’re not in there they’re going to be out on the street getting involved in all kinds of wheeling and dealing.”

He said drug users feel at ease in drop-in centres. “They can go in, have a cup of tea and a cigarette, have a chat and hang out for a couple of hours.

“A lot of work can be done in drop-in centres, because they’re coming into contact with professionals or people with a positive outlook.”

The concerns raised by homeless and drug agencies follow strong reservations expressed by professionals in both the prison and psychiatric sectors.

A spokesman for the Department of Health said the minister was aware of the particular circumstances of the prison and psychiatric sectors, but said no exemptions were planned.