Ireland's ban on smoking in pubs, bars, clubs and restaurants has had only a minimal impact on trade, according to the latest report from Ireland's Central Statistics Office.
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No thanks, it's against the law... at least in
Ireland's pubs |
The Retail Sales Index showed a marginal decline in bar sales for April to June 2004, dropping 2.8% compared with the previous three months.
A spokesman for the Tobacco Control Resource Centre, part of the British Medical Association, pointed out that while this year's figures showed a decline, bar sales had begun to fall before the ban came into effect. "The decrease in sales during the year before the ban was 3.4%, so there has been no real effect on the overall trend," he said.
The Office of Tobacco Control (OTC) concurred, adding: "Irish pubs have been experiencing a decline in sales for the past four years. It predates the ban."
Last week, Cancer Research UK said banning smoking in the workplace would save more lives than the discovery of a new anti-cancer drug, echoing Caterer's health concerns for hospitality workers.
"I believe a single piece of legislation would be the most effective thing we could do to save lives," said Alex Markhan, chief executive of the charity.
If you want to Stub out Smoking and protect the health of UK hospitality workers,
click here to fill out the petition.
- A report from New York's Government authorities has found that the smoking ban extended to bars in March 2003 has allowed hospitality businesses to "prosper".
Business and tax receipts from restaurants and bars in the city over the first year of the ban increased 8.7% and 10,600 new jobs were created.