Penalties imposed on companies and individuals included fines of up to €2,500
NINETEEN SEPARATE convictions were secured last year against companies and individuals who flouted the workplace smoking ban, according to the latest annual report from the Office of Tobacco Control (OTC).
Its report published yesterday indicates 25 prosecutions for breaches of the workplace smoking ban were mounted in 2009 and 19 were successful.
Of the 25 cases taken, 18 were in respect of licensed premises, one related to a hotel, five to taxi companies, and one was in respect of an amusement arcade. Eleven of the convictions were for permitting smoking in non-compliant outdoor smoking areas.
Penalties imposed included fines of up to €2,500.
Meanwhile, five retailers were temporarily suspended from selling tobacco products during 2009 after they were convicted of selling cigarettes to minors.
Two retailers in Limerick were suspended for four days, a further Limerick retailer was suspended for 14 days, a retailer in Cavan was suspended for 24 hours and a retailer in Dublin was also suspended from selling tobacco products for 24 hours.
The annual report says the number of complaints made by the public using the OTC compliance line fell from 557 in 2008 to 399 in 2009.
Research conducted by the OTC last year showed 98 per cent of stores are now compliant with legislation prohibiting the advertising of tobacco products and 97 per cent are compliant with legislation regarding the display of tobacco products. Stores are now prohibited from having tobacco products on display.
Support for the ban on tobacco advertising grew from 56 per cent before the legislation was implemented on July 1st, 2009, to 68 per cent afterwards.
Norma Cronin, chairwoman of the OTC, said the legislation would keep Ireland at the forefront of global policy initiatives and would reduce the number of young people taking up smoking.
She identified the need to continue to reduce smoking rates, noting that Ireland’s smoking prevalence rate of 29 per cent was still high by international standards.
It was recently announced that the OTC will merge with the HSE in 2011 as part of the Government’s ongoing rationalisation of State agencies.