The ban on smoking in the workplace had proven to be an outstanding success, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said yesterday.
In anticipation of the first anniversary of the ban, which falls next Tuesday, Mr Ahern planted a horse chestnut tree in St Stephen's Green, Dublin, and posed for photographs with baby John Madigan who was born on the day the law came into effect.
Mr Ahern said the initiative has already had a hugely beneficial impact on the quality of people's lives.
"As we approach the first anniversary of the ban, we can share a sense of national pride in a measure that will have significant health implications, not just for us here today, but for our children and generations to come."
It had long-term significance in terms of the many lives that would ultimately be saved through the avoidance of lung cancer and other smoking-related illnesses, Mr Ahern added.
"There is no doubt now, that this ground-breaking measure has proven to be an outstanding success. The consistently high compliance rates and the widespread support for the initiative, prove just how successful and welcome the change has been."
Given that smoke-free workplaces were now being seen as the norm, it was hard to believe that the ban was only one year old, he added.
He was thanking organisations and individuals for their support and commitment in making the legislation a success, he said. He was also thanking the public. A lot of people had changed the way they did things and it had been difficult for them. It was estimated that 7,000 smokers had given up smoking, with many more reducing their intake of tobacco products.
Since its launch in October 2003, the National Smoking Quitline had received over 30,000 calls.
"It was right of the Government to respond for the health of workers and it wasn't just a nice idea," Mr Ahern said.
He commended the then minister for health, Micheál Martin for persevering with the case for the ban in the face of what he described as a concerted campaign of opposition supported by vested interests in the tobacco and catering industries.
Asked about loss of revenue, Mr Ahern said they had that debate at the time.
"Any revenue you get from the tobacco industry would be spent on the health services," he said.
It was widely acknowledged that reducing active and passive smoking in the population would lead to a reduction in tobacco-related illness, in particular lung cancer and emphysema. Cancer continued to provide a major challenge for the health service, Mr Ahern said.
It was currently estimated that 90 per cent of all lung cancers, one of the most common forms of the disease, were related to both active and passive smoking, he said.
While it was too early to provide exact figures, it was clear the ban on smoking would have a positive effect, not only on the national health but on the functioning of the health services, he added.