Madam, - On behalf of the Irish Cancer Society, I am writing to acknowledge and welcome the support that the Taoiseach has publicly indicated for Minister Martin's proposed ban on smoking in the workplace and his indication that there will be no compromise on the draft legislation.
As the Taoiseach has rightly pointed out, this legislation is not about commercial or personal interests. It is firstly about offering protection to those who are exposed to a carcinogen in the workplace and is in turn a method for reducing the growing incidence of lung cancer, which accounts for 20 per cent of all cancer deaths.
As your readers are also no doubt aware, 67 per cent of the population supports this progressive piece of legislation, as indicated in the last poll conducted by the Office for Tobacco Control.
We understand, however, that there are certain technicalities within the directive that need to be ironed out, particularly with regard to the implementation of the ban within the psychiatric and prison work settings. In this regard we have offered our support to the Department of Health and Children in providing more targeted work-based smoking cessation programmes in these workplaces. - Yours, etc.,
TOM FINLAY,
Chairman,
Irish Cancer Society,
Northumberland Road,
Dublin 4.