Ireland: Will outdoor areas of bars be non-smoking after they reopen?

THE Royal College of Physicians of Ireland Policy Group on Tobacco (RCPI) has called on the government to make all outdoor areas of pubs smoke-free when they reopen to allow for social distancing while avoiding exposure of customers to second-hand smoke. The proposal is expected to be implemented as part of the lockdown exit strategy and the reopening of venues. Professor Cox, Chair of the RCPI and a consultant in respiratory medicine, has written to the Department of Health to this effect. Professor Cox noted that the majority of outdoor areas in pubs and bars are designated smoking areas.[1], and said that if these areas are used to facilitate social distancing when bars reopen, smoking should be banned in all areas of all pubs when they reopen. Customers sitting outside bars should not be exposed to second-hand smoke. If bar staff provide table service to all customers – including customers sitting outside – they will also be exposed to second-hand smoke. Prof Cox said there was “no no risk threshold for exposure to passive smoking and that we must protect everyone, including bar staff who are particularly exposed to the risk of second-hand smoke; moreover, the latest studies highlight that smokers are more likely to develop serious forms of Covid-19 infection. "Furthermore, the very act of smoking involves fingers touching lips, which increases the possibility of transmission of the virus. If smoking is permitted in a crowded area, it could potentially increase the risk of viral transmission. For these reasons alone, smoking in any environment is strongly discouraged during the Covid-19 pandemic. The RCPI also highlighted that smoking remains the biggest public health problem in Ireland and that 17% of the population are smokers. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in Ireland, with almost 6,000 smokers dying prematurely each year from tobacco-related illnesses.[2]In the context of a pandemic, smoking must be further discouraged and, as a corollary, smokers are strongly recommended to contact smoking cessation specialists for proper care. ©Generation Without Tobacco

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[1] https://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/legislation/country/ireland/sf-outdoor [2] https://www.gov.ie/en/news/7d9caf-level-of-smoking-drops-to-17-of-the-population-healthy-ireland-surve/ ©National Committee Against Smoking |