Capital’s specialist cigarette shops exempt from new tobacco laws (July 2nd, 2009)

July 2, 2009 at 7:05 pm Leave a comment

Some of Dublin’s finest old cigar shops will be allowed to bypass a new ban introduced this month on the advertising of tobacco in retail outlets. In most shops, cigarettes now have to be stored in closed, plain containers behind the counter, in a bid to protect consumers and children from tobacco advertising. However Petersons, JJ Foxes and the Decent Cigar Emporium on Grafton Street will be eligible to apply for an exemption from the regulations.
Ireland is the first European country to apply the EU legislation, but it’s expected that other member states will follow suit. The rules also apply to pubs, where vending machines will now have to be token-operated and must be placed within site of the bar manager. Junior Health Minister Áine Brady said the reasoning behind the ban was that tobacco advertising at the point of sale is a proven factor in young people taking up smoking. ‘The new rules will help to “denormalise” tobacco and protect everyone, young and old, from the dangers of tobacco,’ she said