School campuses and creche grounds are set to become smoke-free areas under a raft of new measures designed to make Ireland tobacco-free.
Health Minister James Reilly plans to step up his war on smoking by recommending local authorities introduce smoking bans at beaches and parks, as well as by bringing in laws on the sale of tobacco and by appointing an anti-smoking czar.
Under the strategy teachers or childcare workers will no longer be able to step outside to have a cigarette.
Instead, they will be forced to smoke well away from their schools and creche buildings – and away from the view of impressionable children and teenagers.
The aim is to make smoking less normal in the eyes of younger people and ensure it is not seen as an easy or attractive habit.
The proposals are part of a strategy to be launched by Dr Reilly in September – 'Tobacco-Free Ireland' – which aims to rid Ireland of cigarette smoking by 2025.
It will include measures like:
- Banning smoking on or around secondary school campuses, even outdoors.
- Banning smoking on and around the grounds of childcare facilities.
- Encouraging local authorities to introduce by-laws banning smoking on beaches and in parks, as has already been implemented by some councils such as Fingal.
- Banning anyone under the age of 18 from selling tobacco in shops, pubs, supermarkets or anywhere else.
- Beefing up the Office of Tobacco Control within the Department of Health and appointing an anti-smoking czar to co-ordinate efforts across state organisations to get people to give up smoking.
Source: Fiach Kelly, Irish Independent, 29/07/2013
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