Smoking ban in force in N Ireland

[IRiSHMaFIA]

Smokers can no longer light up in bars across Northern Ireland as the new smoking ban has come into force.

It is now illegal to smoke in workplaces, most enclosed public spaces and on public transport. The ban will be enforced by local councils.

Smoking is said to cause 3,000 deaths in NI each year, with one death every fortnight due to second-hand smoke.

The Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales already have smoking bans in place; England's starts on 1 July.

Smoke-free legislation is intended to protect public health by reducing exposure to second-hand smoke.

Health Minister Paul Goggins said the law would save lives, adding: "People do not want to breathe in others' smoke.

"Second-hand smoke is a toxic cocktail of around 4,000 chemicals - many of which cause cancer.

• Where can you smoke?
  In your home
  In the open air
  In a designated room in care homes, nursing homes and hospices
  In a designated bedroom in a hotel, guest house, inn or hostel

"It is internationally accepted that there can be no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke.

"Non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke are 20%-30% more likely to develop lung cancer - not to mention the other illnesses and diseases."

Businesses will have to ensure no-one smokes in their premises and must display no-smoking signs. Councils have issued guidelines.

At Windsor Park, smoking will be permitted only outside the stadium, for example in the car parks.

At the home of Ulster rugby, Ravenhill, the bar areas will be smoke free but smoking will be allowed in outside seating areas for the rest of this season.

The new legislation has the support of major health charities and lobbying organisations across Northern Ireland.

These include the Health Promotion Agency, Ulster Cancer Foundation, Action Cancer, Macmillan Cancer Support, the British Medical Association, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, the Royal College of Nursing, Chest, Heart and Stroke NI and the Institute of Public Health.

Brian Gaffney, chair of the Smoke-Free Northern Ireland coalition and chief executive of the Health Promotion Agency, said: "This is one of the most important public health initiatives in Northern Ireland since the health service was established and it should be celebrated.


A new smoking area being created at Da Vinci's in Londonderry

"Everyone has the right to clean air and from today, as people across Northern Ireland make their way into work, they will know that they are guaranteed protection from the deadly effects of second-hand smoke."

Northern Ireland football star David Healy has given the ban his approval. He has urged parents to quit smoking altogether, rather than transferring their smoking from public places to their homes.

The Federation of the Retail Licensed Trade has been working with environmental health officers and Action Cancer and the Ulster Cancer Foundation in preparing publicans for the ban.

However, spokeswoman Nicola Carruthers said a backlog in planning applications meant that publicans were building smoking shelters without permission.

"With the planning system experiencing massive delays, of up to 18 months in some parts, many businesses are building beer gardens and smoking shelters without planning permission and applying retrospectively," she said.

"This is a major risk for many publicans, but they have to provide facilities for their customers who smoke or they may as well close their doors forever."

Smoke-free legislation was introduced in the Republic of Ireland from 24 March 2004, in Scotland from 26 March 2006 and in Wales from 2 April this year. It will also be introduced in England from 1 July.

The ban in Northern Ireland has come about following a major public consultation exercise by the Department of Health between December 2004 and March 2005.

Smoke-free legislation will be enforced by district councils' environmental health officers.

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I'm so glad this has been enforced, although I do feel sorry for smokers because they've little to no place they can go for a fag, but I hated going out to pubs and clubs and coming home stinking of smoke.

A few times out and about if someone was blowing smoke in my direction I'd ask them to try and blow it away from me. Some got defensive about it and intentionally blew it in my direction, and that's after asking kindly.

I don't think I should be forced to inhale all the toxins that fags put into the air, and since I'm not a smoker I don't deserve to have to.

Good on them for enforcing this....and just in time since I'll be back home shortly

[faceless]

The ban's worked really well up here. They brought it in in March last year so we've had a year to get used to it and it really does seem to work. I smoke less as I have to go outside, and I'm also getting fresh air when I do! haha

[eefanincan]

We've had this ban here for years and it seems to work as well. As a non-smoker, there's nothing worse to me than trying to eat in a restaraunt where there's the smell of smoke.....but that's just my personal thoughts... I'm sure not everyone would mind.

They are also talking about making it illegal to smoke in your home if you have children... calling it child abuse. I'll be curious to see how that all goes down. I know that you cannot foster or adopt children if you smoke, so I guess it's already started in a way.

[IRiSHMaFIA]

We've had this ban here for years and it seems to work as well. As a non-smoker, there's nothing worse to me than trying to eat in a restaraunt where there's the smell of smoke.....but that's just my personal thoughts... I'm sure not everyone would mind.

They are also talking about making it illegal to smoke in your home if you have children... calling it child abuse. I'll be curious to see how that all goes down. I know that you cannot foster or adopt children if you smoke, so I guess it's already started in a way.

Although I hate smoking, don't you think it's not the governments business what people do in their own homes? I know it's harmful to children and parents should automatically realise that and do the right thing, but for them to consider having a law telling you what you can and cannot do within the walls of your own home just doesn't sit well with me. What in hell's next?

[eefanincan]

We've had this ban here for years and it seems to work as well. As a non-smoker, there's nothing worse to me than trying to eat in a restaraunt where there's the smell of smoke.....but that's just my personal thoughts... I'm sure not everyone would mind.

They are also talking about making it illegal to smoke in your home if you have children... calling it child abuse. I'll be curious to see how that all goes down. I know that you cannot foster or adopt children if you smoke, so I guess it's already started in a way.

Although I hate smoking, don't you think it's not the governments business what people do in their own homes? I know it's harmful to children and parents should automatically realise that and do the right thing, but for them to consider having a law telling you what you can and cannot do within the walls of your own home just doesn't sit well with me. What in hell's next?

Not so sure I agree with it myself.... but I understand the point when it comes to children. Anyway, it'll be interesting to see whether or not it actually goes through.

[maycm]

I think a greater issue is that this is a drug (can't really classify it as anything else) that is legal and openly available at every other store around. As long as that situation continues there have to be limits as to how far it can be legislated, so I think telling someone they can’t smoke in their own home is going too far. For one thing it will be close to unenforcable, for another, it sets a precident as to how other legally and openly available drugs can be legislated.

Alcohol is another example of a drug that can result in a danger to others, either through the result of a persons actions or through its easy availability to others in a house. Alcohol is also another one of those drugs that has a stigma attached to its use, for example peoples attitudes to drink-driving, so is that going to be more heavily legislated in some way? Just a thought.

The ironic thing about all of these strategies to get people to quit smoking is that the tax revenue that funds many things, not least of which is the care of people with smoking related health problems, will dry up. Will those people then be forced to pay for the treatment to deal with the health problems they 'brought upon themselves' I wonder? We could be on a slippery path if that happens.

[fritz]

I’ll tell you whats next (I don’t smoke so I have no dog in this fight )New york has ban on smoking on city property.So the mayor of New York said the streets and side walks are city property therefore no smoking there either.

[faceless]

I wonder how many of the people campaigning for such laws drive around in big SUVs, polluting the hell out of everyone else?

[Kezza]

I wonder how many of the people campaigning for such laws drive around in big SUVs, polluting the hell out of everyone else?

Erm, hands up! That would be me!!! But please consider my experience before passing judgment:



I've been in 7 car accidents, none of them my fault. Because of these accidents, I've had 3 cars totaled: a VW beetle, a Mazda 323, and a Honda Civic.

In the last accident, I was hit by a drunk driver (in a Chrysler Sebring -- not a SUV) which totaled my nice, fuel-efficient economy car (the Honda) and sent both my husband and I to hospital. Husband needed 2 back surgeries and is still in the process of recovery.

So, we bought the SUV for reasons of safety, because in the last accident, I was lucky enough to be able to walk after having my car totaled, but I won't take that chance again. Especially after 6 previous accidents. But I do live in an urban area and walk almost everywhere, as well as utilise public transportation. So yes, I do feel some guilt as an environmentally-conscious citizen because I own an SUV, but I'm also trying to keep myself safe. For me, it most definitely is somewhat of a balancing act between the two.

Which brings up my latest accident, where I was walking in a car park and hit by, what the police reckon, a drunk driver (in a compact Ford sedan -- not a SUV) who left the scene after hitting me. I'm having surgery on my hip this month.

In my opinion, both alcohol and tobacco are legal drugs that carry devasting consequences, but I haven't heard of many incidents where a car was totaled and people were injured or killed because a driver was smoking.

Back on topic, I don't smoke, and I'm all for the smoking ban. It's been implemented in Washington, DC as well as the surrounding Maryland counties. Although it is a Virginia law to have non-smoking sections in restaurants, there is no such ban in Northern Virginia bars/pubs. And we don't expect there to be, since Virginia is the home of Phillip-Morris, one of the largest tobacco companies in the US. So, Northern Virginia bar owners are loving it, because every smoker from DC and Southern Maryland are crossing the Potomac River to smoke. It's a huge inconvenience for NoVA non-smokers, however.

[eefanincan]

I wonder how many of the people campaigning for such laws drive around in big SUVs, polluting the hell out of everyone else?

Erm, hands up! That would be me!!! But please consider my experience before passing judgment

That's some rough luck, Kezza. I hope you're both doing better now.

Some SUV's are quite fuel efficient now, so not as bad as they once were. Still, I think they're better than most mini-vans if you've children and lots of stuff to carry around.

Interesting point you made about Virginia being the home of Phillip-Morris.... I can see that they obviously carry a lot of political weight there (or else are paying some people off big-time!). Here in my part of Ontario, there were tons of tobacco farmers, but recently they've almost all gone out of business since Imperial Tobacco has left the area.... I believe they encountered too many tough anti-smoking laws/bans/taxes, etc. etc...... there's A LOT of upset tobacco farmers and several people and families out of business. I know another big concern in the area were the many children who didn't start school on time in the fall as they were required to stay at home and help with the tobacco harvests.

It's a very complex issue, whether you're for smoking or not.

[faceless]

Here's a test that goes to show my point... Fill one room full of cigarette smoke and one room full of car-exhaust then get people to sit in each one. After a while the people breathing the car-exhaust will be dead, while the ones breathing the cigarette smoke will maybe have a sore throat.

Don't ban cigarettes, ban the combustion engine!

[luke]

Don't ban cigarettes, ban the combustion engine!

here here, as a smoker and not having driven since i drove my moped into the back of a car this sounds a great plan

i'm completely against this blanket ban they are bringing in here soon, venues should be able to choose if they want to allow smoking or not

its stupid really, i could sit in a pub all day and night working on getting cirrhosis of the liver or whatever alcohol related nastiness before getting all rowdy and causing a fight, but they won't let me work on my lung cancer at the same time

i could eat kentucky fried super fattening industrial farmed genetically modified chemically fattened chicken all day until i was pumping pure fat around my veins instead of blood, but i couldn't finish the meal off with a smoke