Concern over how the Government's proposed new anti-smoking ban will be enforced has been heightened following the murder in the United States of a night-club bouncer who asked a customer to put out a cigarette.
The Vintners' Federation of Ireland (VFI) and the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) said the murder this week in New York, just a fortnight after new anti-smoking legislation was introduced, highlighted the serious dangers that a smoking ban in Irish hotels, pubs and night-clubs could pose to staff and customers.
"From the outset, we said this proposed ban was unenforceable and unworkable. The last thing we want is to be proved right by a similar tragic event here," said Mr Tadg O'Sullivan, chief executive of the VFI, which represents more than 6,000 rural pubs.
Mr John Power, the IHF chief executive, said: "No other country in the EU has implemented such a ban, and the tragic events in New York highlight the practical difficulties of such a proposal. It is unreasonable to expect the owners of hotels, pubs and night-clubs to be responsible for the implementation of such bans."
Dana Blake (32) was killed after trying to enforce New York's tough new anti-smoking laws, Manhattan police said on Monday. After asking one of two brothers in the club to put out a cigarette, the bouncer tried to eject them, was stabbed in the stomach and died later.
The New York ban on smoking in bars and restaurants was introduced by the Mayor, Mr Michael Bloomberg, a former smoker who has turned into an anti-smoking zealot. Designed to protect workers in the city's 13,000 licensed premises, the law came into effect on March 30th and penalises first-time offenders with a $200 fine.
Last January the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, announced his intention to ban smoking from all places of work from January 1st next. Under draft legislation, the onus for enforcement will fall primarily on employers, who face fines of up to €1,900 for allowing smoking in the workplace.
Mr Power called on Mr Martin to publish practical guidelines on enforcement. Describing the ban as it currently stood as unenforceable, he said realistic solutions must be found if any attempt at restricting smoking was to be undertaken. No-smoking areas or improved ventilation were measures that must also be considered, he said.
"If the risks associated with allowing smoking in a controlled manner can be substantially minimised by modern ventilation systems, it is a much more preferable solution to an unworkable ban.
"We would hope that the consultation with the industry on this issue would take into account the practicalities and recognise that in most spheres of activity there is some risk associated, but the objective must be to reduce these risks to the absolute minimum," Mr Power added.
