Source: Irish Independent (ie)
Date: 2010-05-28
Author: Eilish O\'Regan Health Correspondent

Workers who take smoking breaks may be clocking up as much as
eight days\' extra leave every year, a conference in Dublin was
told yesterday.

Miriam Gunning, acting senior health promotion officer on tobacco
in the Health Service Executive (HSE), said she was given the
estimate by a human resource officer from outside the sector.

She was speaking as it was announced that all acute hospitals
campuses would outlaw smoking in the next five years for patients
and staff.

So far, only St Vincent\'s Hospital and Connolly Hospital in
Dublin have introduced the ban, while Cork University Hospital
will impose the ban from Monday.