Pub smoking plans rejected

PUBLICANS’ proposals to allow smoking in half of a pub’s premises and to exempt up to 1,000 pubs with less than five employees from the smoking ban were dismissed out of hand by Health Minister Micheál Martin yesterday.

Seeking a compromise on the blanket ban, publicans also proposed there be no smoking at the bar. Gathering to seek what they described as customer choice and common sense, the Licensed Vintners’ Association and the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland said the ban could lead to an 8% drop in pub sales, a subsequent loss to the Exchequer of 69 million and up to 3,100 job losses. The figures were at variance with the Irish Hospitality Industry Alliance, which said up to 65,000 jobs would be lost if the blanket ban was introduced.

Research conducted by Behaviour and Attitudes on behalf of the publican bodies showed more than a half of pub customers would support a separate smoking area over a total ban.

VFI chief executive Tadg O’Sullivan said their position was reasoned and offered protection for both staff and customers.

“We’re calling on the minister today to consider our proposals carefully; to engage in dialogue with us on these proposals and to deliver a solution proportionate to the problem,” he said. Smoking would be allowed in up to 1,000 pubs in the country under their proposal to exempt owner-occupied pubs with five employees or less, he confirmed. But in a strongly-worded statement in response to the publicans’ proposals, Mr Martin said leaving small pubs outside the ban discriminated against small businesses and their staff.

He said: “Our legislation is based upon equality of protection for all workers, whilst at the same time protecting the rights of people who do not wish to be endangered by being exposed to carcinogenic tobacco smoke.”

Also dismissing the suggestion that ventilation could deal with the problem of second-hand smoke, Mr Martin said research shows ventilation technologies are inadequate and do not give workers full protection from the hazards of tobacco smoke. Ruling out delaying the implementation by another two years, Mr Martin said this would serve no purpose but only force employees to work in an unsafe environment for an unnecessary extra length of time.

“The bottom line is, if you work in an atmosphere where you are forced to breathe environmental tobacco smoke, then your health is at risk. The expert group concluded that a smoking ban remains the only viable control measure to ensure that workers and patrons are protected from exposure to the by-products of tobacco combustion,” he said.

Bar workers’ union Mandate also criticised the vintners’proposals, saying the Government should not allow publicans to use bar workers as guinea pigs.