Smoking ban - Publicans should stop whinging

IN another public relations victory for the Government, four pubs in Cork city and county which were flouting the smoking ban are now complying with the legislation.

Faced with the prospect of High Court injunctions, and with the ominous threat of garda objections looming when their licences come up for renewal, the ashtrays have been put away.

Stubbornly, however, vintners are maintaining their opposition to the ban, blaming it for the loss of 2,000 jobs in Dublin, where a survey found average drink sales were down 14%.