County Council to seek public consultation on smoking ban in Cavan's playgrounds

Cavan County Council is in the process of drafting by-laws, which could lead to playgrounds and other such public areas becoming smoke-free zones. While only at drafting stage at moment, the move follows several other local authorities around the country that have already put in place rules on lighting up in public places. The areas to the forefront of the ban on smoking in public places include Donegal, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal in north Dublin, Carlow Town, neighbouring Meath, Clare and in Dublin City. Although it is not yet an offence to light-up in playgrounds and other such areas in these areas, 'no-smoking' signs are being erected as a deterrent. While there is no such move as yet here. a spokesperson for Cavan County Council said that the local authority is currently "in the process of drafting by-laws, which, once complete, will be submitted to the public for consultation". The feeling on the ground to such a ban, however, is mixed as The Anglo-Celt discovered. Some parents at the Con Smith Play Park in Cavan Town are of the opinion that responsible parents would view smoking around children a moot point and consider an outright ban "a step too far". Aisling Gargan and friend Mary Cahill from Bailieborough, who were at the park with Aisling's son, Ben, believe parental 'judgement' should already dictate that smoking around children is bad. But they both agree that, if the ban were introduced, it is not only a needless infringement on people's rights, but it could also introduce an issue on safety by dragging smoking parents, or guardians, beyond the confines of the play area and away from watching over their children. "You're outside, common sense says you don't smoke around the children, at least if your inside the play area you can make sure they're OK, its going too far", they said. Another mother, Annette Dowd from Cavan Town, had a similar view, saying that while the principle is good, she questioned how the council would be able to enforce an outright ban on smoking in public areas and playgrounds. The main pressure to introduce a blanket ban has come from anti-smoking group ASH, who said it wrote to all local authorities over the past year, asking that councils stub out smoking in playgrounds. A spokesperson for the organisation confirmed they had an "extremely positive response" from various councils.