100 pubs closed in NI since smoking ban

More than 100 bars in Northern Ireland have closed since the introduction of the smoking ban, the Federation of Retail Licenced Trade (FRLT) has claimed.

The organisation. which represents around 1,100 pubs, hotels and restaurants, said that 7 per cent of pubs and bars have gone out of business since the introduction of the smoking ban in April 2007.

During the past year over 130 people have been fined for smoking in public places in Northern Ireland.

Fines of £50 can be immediately imposed on any smoker who insists on smoking in a pub or enclosed public space, while businesses are liable for fines of up to £2,500 for failing to enforce the ban.

© 2008 ireland.com