Four years on, the smoking ban is popular and defintive claims that it has led to more pubs shutting are unsubstantiated.
By Amanda Sandford, Research Manager of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)
England’s pubs and restaurants went smokefree four years ago today. To mark the event ASH has released new data which shows that public support for the measure remains high: 78% of the population are in favour of the law, including almost half of all smokers (47%). Now more smokers support than oppose the law. Meanwhile, an independent review of the impact of the smokefree law found no significant decrease in the number of people visiting pubs or restaurants before or after the legislation.
How very different to the claims made by the Save Our Pubs and Clubs campaign that the smokefree law is causing pubs to close and that the way to solve the problem is to bring the smoke back into pubs.
So who exactly would support such a move? And who is behind the thinly disguised campaign to amend one of the most popular pieces of health legislation every introduced?
A handful of MPs have put their names to the ‘Save Our Pubs’ campaign but the main protagonist is the tobacco-industry funded pressure group, FOREST and Japan Tobacco International. The claim that many pubs blame the smoking ban for the loss of business is hardly proof of cause and effect.
Other shaky data were revealed in a briefing on the pub trade pre- and post the public places smokefree law which claims that there has been a “marked decline” in the number of pubs in the UK since the implementation of the smoking bans.
This appears to be an update of earlier research by the same organisation – Corporate Responsibility Consulting – which established a “very close relationship” between the rate of decline of pubs and the implementation of smoking bans.
The authors don’t appear to disclose their funders but they have form. Their client list includes the Tobacco Manufacturers Association. The calls might be new but the claims are as stale as the air in a smoky pub.
These reports use what they call a “subjective” definition of pubs. Such surveys have been known to reclassify pubs as restaurants and so claim they have “closed” as pubs when they are simply selling more food. In fact the business stays open, the staff keep their jobs, the name of the bar doesn’t change.
But why not use an objective measure? After all, we know precisely how many licences were issued and the number of premises licensed for on sale and off sale increased by 5% the year England and Wales went smokefree and has risen every year since.
Of course pubs, like all small businesses have been hard hit by the recession. But the tobacco lobby group assertion that thousands of pubs in England and Wales are under threat of closure due to the smoking ban does not stand up to scrutiny. The British public are enjoying the benefits of smokefree drinking and dining and there is little appetite for a return to the bad old days of smoke-filled pubs.
57 Responses to “Happy smoking ban day everybody! – don’t believe big tobacco’s corporate spin”
Frank
I think people who develop illness working in a bar would be better off NOT working there. Maybe that’s too logical for some? Silly me, of course it is. It’s to be expected that customers should put themselves out to accommodate the staff.
Relating to the above ‘surveys’ there’s nothing to debate! There’s no raw data. We don’t know the questions, any choices, target groups, any weightings, the rest of the stuff the BPC normally requires. How do we know they didn’t just question Smoke Free NW? Given ASH’s historical behaviour it’s entirely possible. Until we see the data there’s nothing to be said other than garbage. Still, it’ll be good enough for the DoH. It’s what they want, however they get it.
RedfishUK
My local village pub is on it’s knees, nothing to do with the smoking ban, everything to do with the Pub Co that bought it for far too much in 2007 and now can’t extract blood from a stone. The first Tennants were bankrupted by the terms of the lease, it is limping on with a manager but won’t survice.
Meanwhile City centre Bars – which cater for young people (18-25)a group with the highest rate of smoking, are multiplying and are rammed most nights of the week. In case you ask http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/lung/smoking/
scratcheshead
How can banning over half of pre ban patrons from smoking inside bars possibly be good for business? OK, I’m no expert on the economic theory of supply and demand but I’m not totally stupid either. I mean, if the recession is causing most of these closures, is it partly because folks can’t afford scampi and chips any more? Surely this is the time to try and get as many people as possible back inside without expecting them to order food. Smokers seem to be the obvious candidates. Suppose it all boils down to how much we want to keep pubs going. Frankly, I’m with ASH – don’t really care any more.
Grouchy Marx
Foamiest of all fleck-full fantasists on this issue: Phil Johnson of the truly appalling Freedom 2 Choose (a pro-smoking group so barmy even FOREST seems to have disowned them). “This is what YOU and YOUR ILK have done …”
All time classic PJ rant can be found at http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/124560774.html
A man was thrown out of a bar in Philly for bearking its no-smoking rule. He went away, came back with an automatic weapon and shot six people, killing one. According to PJ, this is all the fault of the supporters of toabcco control. Jeez, the man is a charmer. Nicotine really can drive you crazy, and I mean PJ, not the nutter with the gun.
Rory
One suspects that the supporters of the ban, secretly want to bring in Prohibition.
How depressing.