Prison ban on smoking ‘could cause unrest’
The trust’s spokeswoman Dr Valerie Bresnihan said she was surprised the Prison Officers Association (POA) favoured the ban and does not want it watered down.
While Dr Bresnihan accepted the prison officers have a right to work in a smoke-free zone, she said there was a need to take the prisoners’ needs into account.
Prisons are the homes of more than 2,000 people and they cannot go home to smoke like everyone else, she said. Smoking was a fundamental stress release for many prisoners and if that was taken away there would be major tension. “Imagine what will happen if they have to do cold turkey. It is not simply workable ,” she said.
Dr Bresnihan said a partial ban should be imposed like in America where prisoners were allowed to smoke in designated areas.
They should also be given counselling support to give up cigarettes, she said.
But the Prison Officers Association (POA) said yesterday they did not want the legislation watered down.
POA vice-president Gerry Wilson said that while he visualised some difficulties in introducing the ban, he believed it should be enforced in prisons as well as bars and restaurants.
The prison service says it is working closely with the Health and Safety Authority to come up with a way to implement the ban.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health would not reveal yesterday how many smokers are suing the State for negligence in cases that could cost the taxpayer hundreds of millions of euro.
These smokers who have contracted tobacco-related illnesses are accusing successive governments since the 1960s of being negligent in protecting their health. And they are also suing tobacco companies for negligence and seeking compensation.
The Department of Health confirmed legal papers including statements of claim had been lodged by a number of smokers in the chief state solicitor’s office, but it would not say how many.
The spokesman would not say if these latest revelations would strengthen Health Minister Micheál Martin’s hand in imposing a ban on smoking in public places from January.
Mr Martin who has faced tough opposition to his plan from publicans, has argued the State may expose itself to compensation claims from people harmed by tobacco smoke if it did not take action. A Sunday newspaper poll revealed yesterday 70% of Fianna Fáil backbenchers supported the minister’s stance on a smoking ban in pubs.
