An unravelling smoking ban
Ireland was due to have a smoking ban in every workplace, except for prisons, from mid-January. Pub owners have been up in arms over it. I do not smoke, I do not allow it in my home, and I do not go to pubs much, partly because most are too smoky, but I side with smokers on this one. But to the good news, from the Irish Examiner (registration required):
Health Minister Micheál Martin’s smoking ban last night looked vulnerable to a raft of legal challenges.
In an embarrassing turnabout, the minister announced last night that hotel bedrooms would be exempted from the smoking restrictions along with psychiatric hospitals, hospices and nursing homes.
Just a fortnight ago, the minister announced categorically that prison cells would be the only areas within workplaces that would be exempted from the ban.