Let the smoke clear
As an industry we seem to be reacting to the Government's decision on smoking in two ways: doom and gloom or with a sigh of relief. I can understand both reactions but am firmly with the optimists.
We could have been put in the same position as the Scots, with an Ireland-style ban looming just over one short year away. We know what has happened to trade in bars in New York and Ireland, and we should be very content that our Government has not allowed the anti-tobacco lobby to write the legislation.
Whilst we haven't got everything that we wanted, neither have the powerful and vocal anti-tobacco groups. They wanted a universal ban and they wanted it now. As it is we have four more years to make the necessary changes to our policies and, even then, there is an opt-out for pubs that do not serve food, albeit with confusion about what they mean by "food" and "enclosed" spaces. There is still more to play for.
I am sure that the likelihood of a General Election in May next year has concentrated minds wonderfully. The get-out for clubs and wet-led community pubs will help to avoid turning off many Labour voters who also choose to smoke, whilst future restrictions in food-led pubs may play well to the Islington tendency.
The truth is that the policy, while bizarre in some ways, is not far from the public mood. Many people actually do want restrictions in restaurants while many fewer want restrictions in pubs. The Government is forcing the pace and dictating what "choice" means but really it is just accelerating much of what we have been doing ourselves. And in doing this it is recognising the achievements of many of us in our industry.
We started addressing this issue with the launch of AIR in 1997 and have made huge progress in wrestling with this difficult issue. Through our efforts we have seen non-smoking areas move from being a curiosity to becoming commonplace and nearly universal in pubs that are serious about their food offering. We have already recognised commercially that food and smoke often don't mix just as the opinion polls say.
We were set targets for 2003 and exceeded all but one of them in spectacular style. Over the last few months major pubcos and managed companies have grasped their leadership role with a rolling programme of smoking restrictions for delivery by 2009. Whilst some have criticised pubcos for telling their lessees how to run their businesses, this initiative has created some highly-effective mood music and made the positive headlines that surely helped the Government decide against a total ban.
There is nothing certain in this life, but White Papers are Government policy and tend to get delivered. The licensing reform policy, for example, was announced in 2000 and will probably be in place by the end of 2005. After endless negotiation the licensing end product looks very similar to its White Paper and so it will be with smoking it remains for the industry to manage this situation over the four years left to it.
It remains for individual businessmen to recognise the realities of the situation and to take action accordingly. Yes, community, wet-led pubs may eventually have to make a decision on whether or not to offer food, but we all know that the net margins on drink sales are much higher. For many there may be benefits in aiming to achieve good sales without a food offering. This does not have to mean a return to the smoky boozers of the past but what about the chance to present a new kind of high quality, up-market, well-ventilated experience?
There is every opportunity for the industry to emerge from this debate commercially successful and with an enhanced reputation. We trade associations will fight to ensure the best possible outcome in the areas still to be decided but every operator and every company should start working now to find the best solutions for their customers, for their staff and for their businesses.
There is no point in whingeing and waiting for doom and gloom to happen there are market opportunities out there and we should make the most of them, and continue to prove to the Government and the public that we can deliver what is required.
Nick Bish is chairman of the industry's charter group on smoking in pubs
