http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/country/northern_ireland.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113343.php http://tobacco.org/news/268044.html Doctors in Northern Ireland have welcomed the NI Health Minister's announcement, to raise the age for the purchase of tobacco products to 18. Dr Colin Hamilton, Chairman of the BMA's Public Health Committee in Northern Ireland, said: "We are pleased that the NI Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey MLA, will be introducing legislation to ban the sale of tobacco products to anyone under 18. Medical News TODAY UK-Northern Ireland Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.4ni.co.uk/northern_ireland_news.asp?id=78397 http://tobacco.org/news/267928.html The NI Health Minister Michael McGimpsey has announced that the age of sale of tobacco products will rise from 16 to 18 from 1 September 2008. The Minister has taken the step in an attempt to reduce the level of smoking prevalence amongst children and young people in Northern Ireland, having received 90% support for the measure during public consultation. Making the announcement, and following the approval of the NI Assembly today, Michael McGimpsey said: "It is clear that we must do all we can to deter our children and young people from taking up the smoking habit. 4NI-Northern Ireland on the Internet UK-Northern Ireland Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7482494.stm http://tobacco.org/news/267860.html Health Minister Michael McGimpsey has announced that the legal age at which people can buy tobacco products will rise from 16 to 18. The change will come into force on 1 September. "It is clear that we must do all we can to deter our children and young people from taking up the smoking habit," said Mr McGimpsey. BBC Online UK-Northern Ireland Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.4ni.co.uk/northern_ireland_news.asp?id=77497 http://tobacco.org/news/266988.html A public consultation exercise on the future of tobacco control, launched by the Department of Health In London, has been extended to Northern Ireland. The consultation addresses the need to protect children and young people and the importance of helping smokers to quit. It will seek views on a range of issues, including the need for further controls on advertising at point of sale and tobacco vending machines. 4NI-Northern Ireland on the Internet UK-Northern Ireland Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/0529/breaking9.htm http://tobacco.org/news/266136.html Air quality in bars is 93 per cent cleaner a year after the smoking ban was introduced in Northern Ireland, according to new research published today. A leading environmental health charity measured air particulates including nicotine in over 80 bars across the North before and after the introduction of the ban. The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) also surveyed bar workers before and after the ban and found a 72 per cent cut in the number who reported symptoms or side effects Irish Times news@irish-times.com UK-Northern Ireland Thu, 29 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7398731.stm http://tobacco.org/news/265347.html More than eight million cigarettes worth about �2.4m have been seized at Belfast docks. They were found in a container under a load of tyres brought in from China on Monday. The shipment was en route to County Down when it was intercepted. No arrests were made. An investigation is under way to determine if the cigarettes are counterfeit. John Whiting, of HM Revenue & Customs, believes it was the work of organised criminals. BBC Online China UK-Northern Ireland Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.thepublican.com/story.asp?sectioncode=7&storycode=59588&c=1 http://tobacco.org/news/264410.html Northern Ireland's pubs and bars are facing a "bleak outlook" a year on from the smoking ban, a trade chief has warned. Stephen Kelly, chief executive of the Federation of the Retail Licensed Trade Northern Ireland, said he expects the country to lose seven per cent of its pubs over the next two years. Figures released earlier this year revealed that like-for-like sales in the on-trade have dropped seven per cent since the ban a year ago today. Ninety-three pubs and bars closed between 2005 and last December, the Mintel figures also showed. Kelly said: "As a piece of health public policy the ban has been a success. But the much promised march of non-smokers has not materialised." The Publican info@thepublicanjobs.com (James Wilmore) UK-Northern Ireland Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7376279.stm http://tobacco.org/news/264384.html More than 100 bars in Northern Ireland have closed since the introduction of the smoking ban, it has been claimed. The Federation of Retail Licensed Trade said that 7% of Northern Ireland's pubs and bars had gone out of business since the ban's introduction a year ago. Its chief execuitve Stephen Kelly said: "The much promoted view that non-smokers would be rushing to premises has not materialised. "We expect another 100 to close next year." The Federation of Retail Licensed Trade represents about 1,100 pubs, hotels and restaurants. Mr Kelly also acknowledged some landlords had fared well since the ban's introduction. BBC Online UK-Northern Ireland Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7374854.stm http://tobacco.org/news/264376.html Only one person has been fined by Derry City Council for smoking illegally since the introduction of the smoking ban exactly a year ago. According to department of health figures, more than 130 people were fined for smoking illegally in Northern Ireland over the last year. The majority of penalties was given to drivers of work vehicles. Thousands of premises were also inspected, resulting in almost 1,500 warnings. BBC Online UK-Northern Ireland Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7374509.stm http://tobacco.org/news/264363.html More than 130 people have been fined for smoking illegally since the ban was introduced in NI exactly one year ago, the department of health has said. The majority of penalties was given to drivers of work vehicles. Thousands of premises were also inspected up until the end of March. These resulted in almost 1,500 warnings. Health Minister Michael McGimpsey said the ban represented a "major milestone for public health". BBC Online UK-Northern Ireland Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7363805.stm http://tobacco.org/news/264043.html People are being warned of the dangers of counterfeit cigarettes A major operation to smuggle 6.5m cigarettes has been uncovered at Belfast docks. Four different brands of cigarettes were found in a container on the back of a lorry arriving at the docks on Tuesday night. Customs officials opened the container doors and saw rows of roof space insulation, but behind those were the contraband cigarettes. BBC Online UK-Northern Ireland Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.nwipp-newspapers.com/FH/free/321070718420606.php http://tobacco.org/news/263598.html Fermanagh District Council were one of six Councils across Northern Ireland who contributed to a recent survey looking at the cleanliness of streets across the province. The results show a rising tide of sweet wrappers and cigarette butts being discarded on the streets. The findings show that 92% of streets in the six Councils surveyed met government cleanliness guidelines during 2007. While this is an improvement on the 13% failure rate of the previous year, both cigarette litter and confectionery related litter has been on the increase during the same period. Fermanagh Herald UK-Northern Ireland Wed, 16 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7347607.stm http://tobacco.org/news/263503.html The cleanliness of NI's streets has improved for the third year in a row, according to an anti-litter charity. A survey by Tidy Northern Ireland found 92% of streets met government cleanliness guidelines last year, an improvement on 2006's 13% failure rate. Discarded cigarette butts were the most common form of litter, followed by sweet papers and chewing gum. A spokesman said the rise in cigarette litter was no surprise following the smoking ban, which came in last April. BBC Online UK-Northern Ireland Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.4ni.co.uk/northern_ireland_news.asp?id=74409 http://tobacco.org/news/263330.html Fag ends and sweetie papers are the bane of officials attempting to keep the Province tidy. While the number of 'litter-louts' in Ulster has dropped for the third year in a row, smokers and sweet-eaters are still a problem, new figures reveal. Anti-trash charity TIDY Northern Ireland claimed in a survey that the number of streets meeting Government cleanliness targets has increased. But there is still a long way to go - with cigarette butts and paper, confectionery wrappers and chewing gum the most commonly found rubbish. 4NI-Northern Ireland on the Internet UK-Northern Ireland Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/mar/29/northernireland.smoking http://tobacco.org/news/262265.html Northern Ireland's environment minister Arlene Foster confirmed yesterday that a ban on smoking while at the wheel is one of a series of measures aimed at cutting the relatively high death toll on the province's roads. According to police figures, 126 people died on the roads in Northern Ireland in 2006. Last year the Police Service of Northern Ireland said that figure had fallen to 112. . . . Foster is understood to have been won round to banning smoking in cars and lorries after a court case connected to a fatal road crash in Northern Ireland in which two children died. In April 2006 Wayne Johnston was jailed for five years on two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and one of causing grievous bodily injury. He hit a group of children in west Belfast after he lit a cigarette which caused him to suffer a coughing fit. He killed eight year old Emma Lynch and Christopher Shaw, 11. The Guardian reader@guardian.co.uk UK-Northern Ireland Sat, 29 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT