Tobacco sales in Ireland fell by 7.5% in the first six months of this year, according to the cigarette manufacturer Gallaher.
The company, which has a 50% share of the Irish market, said around 260 million fewer cigarettes were sold between January and June compared to the same period last year.
Tomorrow will be an historic day in the Republic of Ireland. It will be exactly one year since the initial introduction of the once controversial . The ban, introduced on March 29 2004, made Ireland the first country in world to completely ban smoking in all workplaces.

The idea was initially met with much skepticism by the Irish who traditionally had a worldwide image as a land of drinkers and smokers. However despite this early uncertainty, the ban has been a huge success. Cigarettes sales have fallen by as much as 60% in , with the country's biggest tobacco brand, , reporting an overall drop in sales of 7.5%.

The   announced earlier this month that over 7,000 had given up smoking in the past twelve months. A survey by the  showed 82% supported the ban. Anti-smoking lobby groups such as ASH had been calling for a ban for many years prior to the Government's initiative.

On 3 December 2003, New Zealand passed the  which lead it to become the second nation to impose a total ban. Its ban came into effect nine months after Ireland's, on 10 December 2004. In January of this year Italy also introduced a ban. Sweden intends to go smoke free in June of this year and in Scotland, the  hopes to have a ban in effect by early 2006.