Jobs warning over smoking ban rejected

Warnings that Ireland’s proposed ban on smoking in public places would lead to major job losses were today rejected by the Heart Foundation.

A spokesman for the organisation said there was no evidence to support the claim that 65,000 jobs were under threat.

Chief executive Michael O’Shea said that in California there had been a ban on smoking in restaurants since 1995 and in pubs since 1998.

He said despite this there had been a consistent rise in sales, employment and tourism with the sector there.

A new group representing hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and pubs in Ireland announced yesterday that it was beginning a campaign to overturn the ban.

Finbar Murphy, spokesman for the Irish Hospitality Industry Alliance, said that in New York there were reports of an average loss of about 30% in the business sector since the ban was introduced there in April.

But speaking on the radio this morning, Mr O’Shea said he was sceptical about such surveys, as many of them were conducted by tobacco companies.

He rejected claims that the ban – which extends to guests in hotel rooms – was unworkable.

He said workers cleaning hotel rooms were entitled to protection from smoke left by guests.

“The purpose of the legislation is to protect all workers in all work places, to give them protection against this carcinogen which is tobacco smoke,” he said.

Mr O’Shea said he did not believe there would be problems enforcing the ban, since a similar ban on smoking in cinemas and on aircraft had been successfully implemented.

The ban on smoking in pubs and restaurants is due to come into effect in January 2004.