Smoking ban - Credit due for novel measure

It is now five years since the introduction of the smoking ban in the workplace. While this has undoubtedly contributed to a decline in the pub culture, the ban is being hailed internationally as a progressive piece of legislation that is being copied in other countries.

People have been rightly critical of the Government for its many failings, but they deserve credit on this occasion. 30 years ago Charles J Haughey introduced the ban on the advertising of tobacco as minister for health.

As minister for health, Micheál Martin introduced the ban on smoking in the workplace, which will undoubtedly save many lives. The dangers of passive smoking can increase the risk of a stroke by over 80%, and the risk of lung cancer by 40%, as it may expose the individual to as many as 50 agents known to cause cancer.

The harmful exposure of employees at work to any other known carcinogen would not be tolerated, so the smoking ban was appropriate. It has already had a noticeable impact on the health of workers in the hospitality industry, where the number of people showing symptoms of exposure to second-hand smoke has already declined noticeably.

There have already been 150 convictions for smoking in the workplace, with fines as high as the maximum €3,000. The violations have been mainly in licensed premises, hotels, taxi companies, and food outlets. There must be no slackening in implementing this law, which had 97% compliance last year.

Smoking indoors has become the exception rather than the rule. Parents have become more aware of the dangers of smoking in the presence of children.

There has been an appreciable drop in the number of teenagers smoking. Recent research indicated that 23% of teenagers had smoked in the previous month. This is a frightening figure, but it is down by 10% since the smoking ban was introduced.

Some 48% of teenagers reportedly never smoked a cigarette, which is an appreciable improvement on the 33% in 2003. The percentage smoking is still much too high and determined efforts must be continued to bring the numbers down. It is estimated that smoking will cost the health service e23 billion over the next decade.

The Office of Tobacco Control has found that 40% of shops are still serving cigarettes to minors. This reprehensible behaviour is totally unacceptable.

In the second half of this year new legislation is to be implemented tightening controls on the location and operation of tobacco vending machines. There will also be a ban on in-store and point-of-sale advertising of cigarettes as well as the display of tobacco products in retail premises.

These measures are welcome, because almost 7,000 are dying from smoking-related illnesses. For years smoking was glamorised, but 70% of smokers now apparently wish to quit. Fortunately more people are now recognising that what they once thought was “cool” is really crazy.