Smoking could soon be outlawed from the GAA sidelines.

According to a report in today's Irish Daily Star, the Tobacco Policy Review Group is proposing extending the smoking ban to public areas such as playgrounds, public parks and sports grounds.

The news has been met with strong opposition by John Mallon of the smokers' group choice, Forest Ireland, who said there was no justification to ban smoking outdoors.

"There are no medical grounds for the introduction of any outdoor smoking ban," he said.

"We are not dealing with science here - we are dealing with propaganda and politics. They are herding 1.3 million people away. We are going to be bullied and criminalised."

The proposal is unlikely to go down well either with club players who still have a quick fag on the sideline during half-time! Tweet

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