This episode of The Expert View speaks with Prof Des Cox, chair of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland’s Policy Group on Tobacco. On 12 May, 2020 Prof Cox sent a letter to Minister Simon Harris calling on the Government to make all outdoor areas in bars non-smoking zones as part of the reopening strategy for the current COVID-19 pandemic. Following extensive media coverage, Minister Harris stated he would consider the proposal and CMO, Dr Tony Holohan, expressed his support for the idea. Here, Siobhan Creaton, Head of Public Affairs and Advocacy at RCPI, talks with Prof Cox about the need for these measures and how they could protect the public.