97% compliance with smoking ban

The compliance level with the workplace smoking ban is now is now 97%, according to the Office of Tobacco Control (OTC).

It says this is the highest level of annual compliance since the introduction of the ban in March 2004.

A report from the OTC shows that 97% of workplaces were compliant in 2008.

Twenty-four cases of breaches of the workplace ban legislation offences were brought in 2008. These cases resulted in 19 convictions, while the Probation Act was applied in six cases.

There were 23 cass taken where outlets had sold tobacco products to minors, resulting in 19 convictions.

Eamonn Rossi, OTC Chief Executive, said the 97% compliance level demonstrated the huge success of smoke-free workplaces and showed the strong public support for measures to protect the public from the serious ill-effects of smoking.

See also http://www.otc.ie/

[Posted: Mon 22/06/2009]