The Irish smoking ban, which has outlawed tobacco from workplaces – including all pubs, restaurants, hotel lobbies and entertainment facilities – came into force on 28 March amid calls for the UK government to follow suit.

While some analysts have predicted that around 70,000 jobs could be lost because of the ban, other reports from across the Atlantic are sending a more encouraging signal.

New York introduced a similar smoking ban on 30 March 2003 and a recent report by city government officials claimed that the city has actually experienced an increase in jobs, alcohol licenses and business tax payments since the introduction of the ban.

The report revealed that, from April 2003 to January 2004, tax receipts from bars and restaurants have increased by 8 per cent – from $16m (£8.78m) to $17.3m (£9.5m).

Although critics have said that the report is flawed, as it fails to separate bar and restaurants statistics, the first year under the new rules seems not to have had the adverse effect on business that the city’s catering industry had initially feared.

While Ireland begins to cope with a new non-smoking ethos, there have already been appeals from a selection of organisations to introduce a similar ban in the UK.

The British Medical Association (BMA) was among the quickest to offer its support for a UK-wide smoking ban.

Vivienne Nathanson, head of ethics at the BMA, said: “The Irish government has shown real leadership in this area and we urge the UK government to do the same. At least one thousand people die every year from second-hand smoke.”

Nathanson continued: “The time of complacency is over. The government keeps saying it wants to tackle public health issues, while we have the evidence that passive smoking kills. Why aren’t they acting on it?” Details: www.bma.org.uk