Almost 4,000 deaths prevented due to workplace smoking ban

Almost 4,000 lives have been saved in Ireland since the introduction nine years ago of a ban on smoking in the workplace, a study claims.

Most of the lives saved since March 2004 are those of non-smokers who would have died from the effects of passive smoking.

The study shows 3,726 smoking-related deaths have been prevented since the introduction of the workplace smoking ban by then health minister Micheál Martin.