A good clip from the Irish Office of Tobacco Control about smokefree pubs (and any workplace)
WATCH
Minister Power launches Office of Tobacco Control's "Smoke-free is working - let's keep it that way" television and radio campaign
The Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Mr Seán Power TD, today (Thursday, 21 October 2004) launched a new television and radio advertising campaign by the Office of Tobacco Control (OTC). The theme of the campaign, which commences this evening, is “Smoke-free is working. Let’s keep it that way.”
The creative work on the campaign was carried out by McConnells and the campaign will continue for the next five weeks on RTE 1, RTE 2, TV3, TG4, Sky One, E4 and MTV, as well as the country’s local and national radio stations. The campaign will consist of a separate radio and television commercial, both of which are set in a bar, and will refer to the OTC’s smoke-free compliance line 1890 333 100. Ads will also be placed in trade publications for the hospitality industry.
The OTC’s Director of Communications, Valerie Robinson, explained that the Office selected the particular campaign theme to reflect the fact that the legislation is being complied with by the overwhelming majority of employers, employees and the public.
“However, it’s important that we don’t become complacent and slip back into old ways. We need to remind ourselves of the real harm that exposure to second-hand smoke causes – a 20-30% increase in the risk of lung cancers and a 25-30% increase in the risk of coronary heart disease – and make sure that people continue to be protected from these illnesses.”
Ms Robinson pointed out that the campaign theme smoke-free is working is supported by research outlined at an OTC seminar earlier today.
“Such legislation in other jurisdictions has led to a major decline in toxic chemicals in the atmosphere of workplaces resulting in safer and healthier environments for people to work and socialise in.”
In this context, Trinity College’s Dr Shane Allwright explained that she and a group of colleagues are undertaking a study of the health effects of the legislation on 329 Irish bar workers, north and south of the border, in locations such as Dublin, Cork, Galway, Derry, Strabane and Limavady. The research started in September 2003 and will be completed in March 2005, the results will be published later next year.
“We are studying a group of bar workers in the Republic, where bars are smoke-free, and comparing them to their equivalents in Northern Ireland where smoking is still allowed. We are looking at their exposure to the toxic chemicals released by tobacco smoke and testing their lung function to measure what effect their exposure – or lack of it – has on their health. Our study will also measure the air in a number of pubs to compare exposure to a range of different toxic chemicals pre and post implementation of the law.”
Dr Allwright concluded by explaining that the study involved researchers from Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, St James’s Hospital, NUI Galway, University College Cork, Dublin Institute of Technology and health agencies in the Western Health and Social Services Board area in Northern Ireland.
Comments