Smoking ban may hit trade north of the border
Trade leaders in Scotland fear that smoking could soon be banned in all pubs north of the border if the trade fails to pull its socks up.
This worrying news came as MSP Kenny Gibson ploughed ahead with a Scottish Parliament private member's bill to ban smoking in all public places where food is served, which includes the majority of pubs.
Mr Gibson, who chairs the Scottish Parliament's cross party group on tobacco control, told campaigners that he had received support for his proposals from some smokers, the medical profession and other members of parliament.
But the trade is furious at the plan. A spokesman for the Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) said that the proposed law was "unworkable" and condemned it as a disastrous move for the licensed trade.
Now he and other protestors are urging publicans to sign up to the voluntary Charter as a matter of urgency.
They, along with trade leaders in England and Northern Ireland, are concerned that if licensees fail to act now the government will enforce strict legislation mirroring that recently introduced in Italy and California.
Venues in Italy have six months to introduce ventilation systems that provide at least 80 cubic metres of clean air per hour for every person, and no-smoking areas.
If operators fail to install the correct systems in time, they could be fined up to £1,800.
Just last week, Ireland came one step closer to an outright ban on smoking after a report said 150 barstaff in the Republic would die this year due to passive smoking.
Spokesman for the Atmosphere Improves Results (AIR) initiative Oliver Griffiths told thePublican.com that 50 per cent of all pubs must display a Charter sign by December 2002. Of those, 35 per cent must indicate separate areas or ventilated premises in order for the trade to fight off Government regulation.
The Charter Group is due to meet with officials at the Department of Health in the next few weeks to discuss progress in England and Wales.
Related stories:
Smoking ban in Ireland pubs a step closer (27 February 2002)
