The new law, which the country's Prime Minister Bertie Ahern called a "legislative landmark", is the strictest in Europe. Health campaigners are jubilant, but pub owners fear the new law will deal a heavy blow to their business and doubt it can be enforced. Some bars in Dublin have already set up heated courtyards with ashtrays to allow smokers to pursue their favorite pastime without breaking the law.
However, supporters of the ban say it will not lead to pubs emptying out: non-smokers will now flock to them. According to Bertie Ahern, recent polls show that almost three quarters of those who have visited bars at least once in recent weeks do not smoke. Moreover, almost 60% of smokers say the smoking ban will not stop them from popping into pubs for a pint or two.
"Being in the same room as smokers means inhaling at least 50 substances believed to cause cancer, as well as other chemicals that increase blood pressure and damage the lungs and kidneys," the prime minister said. "The majority has already made up its mind on this issue and expects the government to take measures to address this problem. Health and quality of life are very important for people in the workplace."
However, the owners of many Irish pubs are very skeptical of the innovation, and a whole group of them has promised to ignore the ban. Moreover, they say, the new law will simply be impossible to enforce, especially on weekend evenings when pubs are crowded, or in places where people simply cannot imagine a pint of beer without a cigarette.
"There are pubs, especially in rural Ireland, where people come and sit on the same chair for 30, 40 or even 50 years," says Con Dennehy, whose family owns a pub in the city of Cork in the southwest of the country. "And let the owner ask a person who has been so loyal to his establishment for many years to refrain from smoking!"
Meanwhile, some US states and Australia, for example California and New South Wales, already have experience with a complete ban on smoking in public places. Studies conducted in Australia show that the fears of Irish pub owners about a possible decline in income are almost groundless. After the introduction of the smoking ban in New South Wales, 76% of bars and restaurants continue to operate as before, 14% have increased turnover, and only 9% have suffered losses.
• The addiction of almost a quarter of the country's population to smoking often leads to serious health consequences, and many smokers need medical help. Of course, any drug treatment or neurological clinic will accept them, but doctors prefer to prevent the disease in advance rather than bring it to a critical point.
It is therefore not surprising that the ban on smoking in public places was warmly supported by Irish doctors. They point out that smokers account for 25% of the population of the Emerald Isle, and seven thousand deaths related to smoking are registered in the country every year.
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