Galway pub defies ‘cancer police’

DUBLIN – Fibber Magee’s has become the first pub in Ireland to openly defy the country’s new smoking ban, allowing customers to light up in a last-ditch attempt to stay in business.

The city centre pub in Galway, western Ireland, has seen its business drop by 60 percent since March, when smoking in workplaces became illegal. With ruin staring him in the face, co-owner Ronan Lawless felt he had to act.”We had absolutely no option,” Lawless, 33, told state radio yesterday.”We were going to be out of business in the next month anyway.”About 200 people packed into an upstairs room at the pub on Tuesday evening for a cigarette in the first major challenge to the nationwide ban.A health ministry spokeswoman said enforcement officials, nicknamed “Cancer Cops”, had launched an investigation.- Nampa-ReutersWith ruin staring him in the face, co-owner Ronan Lawless felt he had to act.”We had absolutely no option,” Lawless, 33, told state radio yesterday.”We were going to be out of business in the next month anyway.”About 200 people packed into an upstairs room at the pub on Tuesday evening for a cigarette in the first major challenge to the nationwide ban.A health ministry spokeswoman said enforcement officials, nicknamed “Cancer Cops”, had launched an investigation.- Nampa-Reuters