Ban did not hit sales of tobacco
Thursday June 28 2007
CIGARETTE companies, which are bracing themselves for the introduction of a smoking ban in England from Sunday, are drawing comfort from the thousands of people in the Republic who are continuing to light up.
They defiantly predicted yesterday that English smokers - who will not be allowed to light up in public places from this coming Sunday - will soon follow the lead of their Irish counterparts.
"Figures from Ireland and Scotland show that the predicted meltdown in tobacco sales has not materialised following the introduction of smoking bans," said Chris Ogden, Director of the Tobacco Manufacturers' Association.
"It is clear that smokers continue to choose to smoke - they adapt to the new rules and after an initial dip in consumption, sales volumes recover."
After the early drop when the ban was imposed here consumption has stabilised - the greatest effect appears to be on the pub trade that has seen a significant number of closures, he added.
England will impose its smoking ban more than three years after the Republic led the way with the health measure.
Around a quarter of the population in the Republic continue to smoke and in the wake of the ban smoking rates fell by around 2pc here. But there is growing concern about the numbers of teenagers who are taking up the habit.
Mr Ogden pointed to the effects of the ban in Ireland which have led to "considerable investment in comfortable covered outdoor areas by pub, club and restaurant owners.
Tobacco
He added: "These have improved the environment for everyone - smokers and non-smokers.
"In Britain over 25pc of the adult population choose to smoke cigarettes or other tobacco products and smokers should not be discriminated against simply because they smoke.
"In the same way that we expect smokers to accept their responsibilities by being considerate, we believe that others should respect the rights of smokers."
- Eilish O'Regan
