Figures revealed by the Central Statistics Office confirm the huge jump in Irish cigarette consumption and sales reported by tobacco manufacturers in Ireland. In the decade prior to the imposition of the smoking ban figures had shown a sharp decline in the sale of cigarettes. The latest figures clearly show this trend has been dramatically reversed following the smoking ban. One manufacturer has even introduced a new brand to the Irish market for the first time in over ten years.

The figures make uncomfortable reading for the Office Of Tobacco Control and others who had promised the smoking ban would lead to a reduction in the number of smokers and tobacco they consumed in Ireland as people would have less opportunity to smoke. The Office Of Tobacco Control has blamed foreign workers for the increase. One in three Eastern Europeans smoke compared to just under one in four Irish people insist the Office Of Tobacco Control implying the influx of Eastern European workers to Ireland is responsible for the huge increase in tobacco consumption. However, Foreign workers have been flocking to Ireland for over a decade now and had not prevented the reduction of cigarette sales prior to the ban. It is despicable for the Office Of Tobacco Control to blame foreign workers for the failure of their own policy.

The figures released by the Government do not include tobacco imported by the record number of Irish people going on holidays abroad or duty free sales. A 20 pack of cigarettes in Ireland cost's in excess of €6.50 compared to under €3 in many European countries. Irish people now make special 'smoking excursions' to Europe to stock up on tobacco supplies. There is a long established and extensive Irish black market in cigarettes who's sales are also not recorded by official figures. Many Eastern Europeans workers have access to tobacco supplies in their home countries where 20 cigarettes can be as little as €1 a pack, the sales of which don't show up in Irish Statistics either. Despite all this, official figures show a 3.5% increase for 2005 on 2004. The attempt by the Irish Office Of Tobacco Control to make scapegoats of and blame lowly paid foreign workers for this increase is a disgrace and has despicable racist undertones.