A €250,000 advertising campaign to raise awareness of the workplace smoking ban began last night with television advertisements on RTÉ, TV3, TG4, the youth channel E4 and Sky.
Local and national radio stations will carry the advertising from Monday.
The workplace smoking ban, which includes bars and restaurants, will be introduced on March 29th. However, certain establishments, such as designated areas in hospitals and prisons and hotel rooms, are exempt.
Yesterday, the Green Party claimed the smoking restrictions had been relaxed as the Bill went through committee stage. Mr John Gormley, the Green Party chairman, said it now appeared that beer gardens would be exempt from the smoking ban, and that they would be monopolised by smokers.
He said the definition of an "outside" area in the legislation could be open to misinterpretation by unscrupulous pub owners.
However, a Department of Health spokeswoman said the policy had not changed, and that the ban had always only applied to enclosed working environments. It was not possible to ban smoking outdoors. The amendments to the legislation merely clarified what was indoor and outdoor, and these definitions were very clear.
Yesterday, the Minister, Mr Martin, said he did not know if there would be a late legal challenge from the hospitality industry, but it was looking less likely. "Our advice is that we have a very strong, robust position."
Last week, The Irish Times reported that the Vintners' Federation of Ireland had ruled out a legal challenge.
Yesterday, a spokeswoman for the group said the members would have to study the guidelines before making a final decision.
The Office of Tobacco Control (OTC) posted its guidelines for publicans on its website www.otc.ie yesterday.
They advise publicans to implement normal procedures for anti-social behaviour if customers refuse to stop smoking, and to contact gardaí if physical violence is threatened.
Ms Valerie Robinson, the OTC's communication and education director, said many people did not see bars and restaurants as workplaces, but staff were exposed for long periods to high levels of second-hand smoke.
She said seven out of 10 non-smokers supported the ban, while four out of 10 smokers were in favour of it.
Mr Martin said society was coming around to accepting the inevitability and reality of a smoke-free workplace. "I get a sense out there that the public want this to happen, and I think the public will facilitate compliance with this."
