Fears over smoking-related injuries

THREE people have had their jaws broken after leaving pubs to smoke and more injuries could be on the way, a hospital consultant warned yesterday.

Dr J Cliffe Beirne, a facial surgeon in St James’s Hospital in Dublin, said the three smoking ban-related incidents accounted for half of all jaw injuries last weekend.

“It is another thing that has happened that should raise significant alarm bells. It may bring matters to people’s attention and maybe something could be put in place,” he said.

The three injured people included:

A barman who went for a smoke outside.

A person who got into an argument while trying to re-enter the pub.

A person who briefly lost consciousness after leaving the pub and is unsure of the details.

Although pubs and nightclubs have called gardaí to deal with obstinate smokers inside pubs, the mood among smokers outside has been generally peaceful.

However, speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland yesterday, Dr Beirne said large crowds outside pubs could lead to further injuries.

But Dr Beirne said he supported the concept of the smoking ban and also any moves by Health Minister Micheál Martin to promote sensible drinking.

“There is a huge public order issue, particularly in relation to young males and violence and its association with alcohol. Every Monday morning, we get facial fractures referred from all over the country. It’s basically carnage and it’s not just Dublin, it’s throughout the country.”

The Department of Health said public order offences outside pubs were a matter for the gardaí. But it said the Office of Tobacco Control had reported very few enforcement problems.

An average of 1,000 people are contacting the national smokers’ quitline every week. Since it was set up five months ago, 24,546 people have sought expert advice. The helpline is operated by the Irish Cancer Society and funded by the Department of Health.

Unsurprisingly, the highest number of calls logged was during the first week of the new year when 2,536 people called for assistance. A further 1,491 people called the following week.

Another surge of smokers took to the phone lines during the Lenten period reaching a peak of 1,451 calls during the week of Ash Wednesday on February 25. Another 1,339 called the following week, when the smoking ban was looming.

Calls dwindled but 846 people rang up in the first week of the creation of a smoke-free workplace.

Norma Cronin, health promotion manager at the Irish Cancer Society, said the phone line operators had noticed an increase in calls since the ban was introduced.

“Most surveys will tell you that 70% of smokers actually want to quit. We are delighted that so many have taken the first step and contacted the quitline,” Ms Cronin said.

Callers are offered a range of services including an information booklet, the opportunity to talk to a cessation advisor or a counsellor for intensive support, and the times and location of smoking cessation courses run by their local health board.

Quitline number: 1850 201203.

How to give cigarettes the flick

Avoid situations where you are likely to smoke, such as remaining sitting after your evening meal.

Get rid of smoking accessories such as lighters and ashtrays from your home, they will only trigger you to think about smoking.

Seek help and support from family, friends, your pharmacist, GP and helplines.

Luxury items, such as a holiday or a new piece of furniture should be bought with the saved money from not buying cigarettes. This could be as much as €4,000 a year.