Campaigners urge North’s health minister to follow Martin’s example

HEALTH campaigners in Northern Ireland urged the Government yesterday to introduce a ban on smoking in the workplace.

As Ireland’s offices, factories, bars and restaurants were officially declared no-go areas to the country’s smokers, Stormont health minister Angela Smith was told more lives could be saved if restrictions were also put in place north of the Border.

With an estimated non-smoking population of more than 70%, Dr Jane Wilde, director of the Institute of Public Health claimed Northern Ireland had the opportunity to lead the way in Britain.