ASH: link between tobacco industry and trade to blame for smoking control delays

Measures to control smoking in pubs are being delayed because the hospitality industry is in league with the tobacco industry, new research claims.

According to anti-smoking pressure group Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), research from California shows the tobacco industry has been using hospitality trade associations to promote its cause.

But the accusations have been rubbished by the trade's Charter Group on smoking in public places and the Atmosphere Improves Results (AIR) initiative.

Marsha Williams, spokeswoman for ASH, said: "We have found that for the past three years very sensible and moderate measures to protect Britain's workers from passive smoking have stalled in the face of hospitality trade objections.

"It has pressed for a voluntary approach to regulate smoking in pubs, bars, cafés and restaurants, yet this has delivered very little in the way of change. It has all the hallmarks of tobacco industry manipulation."

She said AIR was backed by the Tobacco Manufacturers' Association and added: "The hospitality trade should come clean about the level of tobacco industry involvement in its sector - or else face losing any shred of credibility they may previously have enjoyed."

But Oliver Griffiths, spokesman for AIR, said although the group did receive funding from the Tobacco Manufacturers' Association it was overt about its involvement.

"It's on our website and in all our material which is significantly different from what ASH is suggesting. "The industry has done a very good job in self regulating."Nick Bish, chairman of the Charter Group, agreed. "ASH seems in some way resentful that we have been so successful," he said. "The proportion of pubs with no-smoking areas has actually increased by 70 per cent since we started the early work with AIR in 1997.

"AIR has helped deliver the cleaner air message to a very disparate industry. Wherever its funding comes from, AIR is an invaluable support to our industry's initiative."

Licensees are being urged to sign up to the Charter by putting up signage outside their pubs indicating the smoking policy. For more information contact AIR on 020 7482 0620 or visit www.airinitiative.com.