Irish Sunday Mirror

Stub out cigs zones in boozers

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beat them, join them. If you’re an ex-smoker, the temptation to light up is exacerbate­d by those who offer you a cancer stick to go with your vino or pint.

I’ve been that soldier – successful­ly quit only to be seduced by the lure of the habitual.

For those who’ve ever smoked, the associatio­n between a drink and a Marlboro never leaves you.

So if we were forced to enjoy a tipple without a smoke in pubs, it could help the nation quit indefinite­ly – that can only be a good thing for public health.

Not to mention the fact inhaling smoke reduces lung function, weakening our immune system to fight off viruses. Since 2004 when

Smoking the smoking ban came in, publicans re-imagined the bar and the smoking section was born.

We didn’t think we could handle the smoking ban initially – and we were the most compliant country in Europe.

We never imagined we could social distance and we nailed that too, we are impeccable law-abiding citizens when we want to be.

Pub culture has such a long history, surely we could re-envisage the pub scene smoke-free for the right to socialise once more?

Bar staff in smoking areas are inhaling second-hand smoke by the lungful, so why should we continue to sacrifice the health of our service industry and ourselves? second- class citizens for lighting up, for the good of public health we’re more likely to quit.

Cafes and restaurant­s will be permitted to open as part of the third phase of the Government’s roadmap on June 29, while bars will be allowed to reopen under the fifth phase on August 10.

These beautiful smoking areas will now be communal areas where we can sit out in and enjoy a bevy and it’ll feel very Mediterran­ean.

We can all enjoy the former smoking areas minus a haze of tobacco.

Can smokers sacrifice the fags for the right to engage in social interactio­n once more?

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