Time to change tack in battle on smoking?

Some months ago the Department of Health accepted that the smoking ban has not had any real impact in reducing the number of people who smoke in Ireland.

Despite all the furore and millions spent on education and advertising, just as many Irish people as ever are happily puffing their way to an early grave. Some, by smoking around their children, are leaving a legacy that will make their sons or daughters hostages to the tobacco companies all of their lives. The ban was introduced just over eight years ago and still huge numbers of Irish people jeopardise their health and their children’s health by continuing to exercise their right to smoke.

The scale of the habit and the cost of supporting it, not to mention its almost inevitable consequences for the national health budget, is bewilderingly vast.