No Smoking ban and its effects
In the local Nationalist was an interesting story of how the new Irish law banning smoking in pubs has caused one man to rise from the ashes and be heard.
A former Mayor of Clonmel is taking a novel approach to next month’s local elections - he’s standing on a single-issue protest, won’t be doing any canvassing and won’t be accepting campaign donations.
This unusual method of running for office is being employed by Dominick O’Hara, whose previous political existence was as a Fine Gael councillor for seven years between 1987 and 1994. Now he’s running as an independent, in opposition to the workplace smoking ban, and is asking voters who don’t agree with the ban to give him their number one.
“I’m putting my name forward just to say that if people want to focus on this as an issue, they can vote for me”, he told The Nationalist this week after lodging his nomination papers on Saturday.
“I see people standing outside pubs, decent, law-abiding people, in all types of weather because of this law. I know people who served in the Irish Army in the Congo and Cyprus and at 70 years of age they’re reduced to standing outside pubs in the rain because they want to smoke.”
I recently went to a local pub to celebrate the end of exams and was amazed at the smell upon entering. The stuffy smell of tobacco was absent and the strong stale smell of drink filled my nose. This was the first time I noticed the smell and as elections are upon us I would not be too surpised if drink was next on the list.
As for the tobacco! with the loss in taxes due to less smoking where will the money come from.
In case your wondering I don't drink or smoke, but seeing the people who built this country huddled like sheep outside pub doors puffing smoke in the rain and wind what kind of thank you is this. This law was enforced without any care for the effects it will have on those who have only the fag or pipe to comfort them in their old age.
Smoking regulations
Ireland
Laws regulating smoking in Ireland
With effect from 29 March 2004 there is a complete ban on smoking in Ireland wherever people are employed, with the following exceptions:
Hotel, guesthouse and B&B bedrooms
Prisons
Garda (police) station detention areas
Nursing homes
Hospices
Religious order homes
Psychiatric hospitals
Residential areas within third level education institutions
http://www.iol.ie/~discover/smoking.htm
http://www.oasis.gov.ie/employment/health_and_safety_in_employment/ban_on_smoking_in_the_workplace_in_ireland.html