An outright ban on smoking in all public places, including pubs, restaurants and retail outlets, is recommended in a Dail committee report to be presented to the Minister for Health next week. The report also calls for a ban on smoking in the work-place "where two or more people work indoors together in the one location".
The Report on Health and Smoking, passed without amendment at a private meeting of the Joint Committee on Health and Children yesterday, recommends tough action on smoking as part of a new anti-smoking drive.
The proposed bans on smoking could be achieved through the introduction of new regulations under the 1988 Tobacco (Health Promotion and Protection) Act, and no new legislation was required.
A committee source told The Irish Times that the 103-page report, prepared by the Fine Gael TD Mr Alan Shatter, will be presented to Mr Cowen and made public next week.
The report also calls for legislation to ban press advertising of tobacco products from next July and tobacco sponsorship and patronage of events from July 2001.
The committee wants the Minister and the media to agree on a new press code of practice, whereby an anti-smoking message will be printed or broadcast where tobacco companies have gained advertising through sponsorship.
"The advertising impact is worth millions of pounds in cigarette sales to the tobacco companies. The subliminal message of glamour and excitement associated with cigarettes conveyed in this way to young people is extremely damaging."
The report also proposes a ban on the sale of cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18. Health insurers should charge more for insuring smokers, while the State should sue tobacco companies for the costs of caring for patients suffering from tobacco-related illness.
The committee is also seeking more powers of compellability, similar to those given to the Dail Committee of Public Accounts, to allow it to require manufacturers and suppliers of cigarettes to disclose all documents relevant to public health and tobacco policy issues.