One of the reasons I'm in Dublin is to find potential venues for smoker-friendly events.
This afternoon we're checking out a barge for an outdoor 'Smoke On The Water' style event. Unfortunately the deck that allows smoking is uncovered which is a hostage to fortune given the weather here.
This morning however we visited a couple of restaurants, each with a superb covered smoking area.
One looked as if it was largely enclosed but the devil was in the detail. You could see how it met the regulations and the result was perfect – it was like a large conservatory with comfortable chairs, tables, plants and heaters.
Smokers can be accommodated in comfort if the will – and the space – is there. All it takes is an imaginative proprietor and a local licensing authority that is prepared to be flexible.
Meanwhile I'm aware of a report that appeared in several newspapers today concerning the "positive" impact of smoking bans on public health:
Smoking bans cut damage such as heart disease to passive smokers, says research (Press Association).
I'll post about this later but I mention it now because 'research' such as this – and the headlines it generates – underlines the very difficult if not impossible task we face to amend public smoking bans.
After all, if the health benefits are so real and obvious, why would anyone want to change a policy that allegedly reduces the harm caused by cigarette smoke?
If you want to read my immediate reaction, based on a press release not the full research (which I haven't read yet), click on the link above and scroll down.
I've also been quoted by the Mail and, I think, the Sun but my response was edited so heavily it's almost meaningless.