Smokers in the Western Health Board region have put up very little resistance to the enforcement of the smoking ban in workplaces. There has been a high level of compliance from proprietors of pubs, restaurants and other premises.
Environmental health officers from the health board have carried out over 1,000 inspections of premises in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon since the smoking ban was introduced on March 29th last, and there have only been 54 complaints made to the Office of Tobacco Control to date.
Ms Catherine Cunningham of the health board said the officers had reported a very high level of co-operation and compliance with the legislation across the region.
A wide range of initiatives have been implemented in the west to promote environmental health and tobacco-free lifestyles.
Support is available to staff and patients in Galway Regional Hospitals to help them give up smoking, with nicotine replacement therapy available to patients during their stay.
Three gazebos have also been provided close to the Merlin Park and University College hospitals to facilitate smokers.
Last year the board's environmental health officers carried out almost 5,000 inspections of premises and vehicles throughout the region to ensure that smoking restrictions were being properly applied in a wide range of public places.
The board's health promotion department has been involved in an initiative in secondary schools in the Athenry and Loughrea areas to discourage smoking on school buses. It has also been very proactive in the schools, and over 100 teachers have been given anti-smoking training in the first quarter of this year.
A total of 82 spot-checks of taxi and hackney cabs were also carried out and 60 cars were found to have complied with the law. Such inspections will continue.
The board plans to place wooden gazebos outside psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes, and other facilities where the smoking ban does not apply, over the next few months.
Mr Gerry Coone, a psychiatric nurse and member of the health board said it was very worrying for workers in his area that smoking was still allowed in psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes, prisons and certain other institutions, and he urged the board to introduce a policy with regard to this.