Charter Group fights back against call for smoking ban
The Charter Group has slammed calls by doctors for a smoking ban in pubs and bars as "ill-informed and irresponsible".
Medical leaders have asked for a total ban on smoking in public places including restaurants, pubs and all other workplaces in a letter to The Times. (Click here to view the letter in full). The leaders from the 13 royal colleges of medicine have formed an alliance to call for a ban.
Their move follows a report earlier this year by the chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, in which he said he would like to see smoking in public spaces banned to protect non-smokers from passive smoking.
Nick Bish (pictured), chairman of the Charter Group, said: "Not one of the organisations that have called for a ban has ever contacted our industry to find out what we are really doing on the smoking issue. Their position is dismissive and ill informed and, given the number of jobs potentially at stake, frankly irresponsible."
The industry has been supporting the aims of the Charter Group, which promotes the use of signage, good ventilation and no-smoking areas where possible.
The Charter Group says that since the industry started working with the government on this issue in 1997, the proportion of pubs with no smoking areas has doubled from 23-46% and almost two thirds of pubs now display their smoking policy on the outside to inform consumers.
A recent BMRB poll shows that 73% of consumers note that there are more no-smoking areas and 61% of them recognise that pubs and bars are demonstrably less smoky.
Industry response
- Ted Tuppen, chief executive, Enterprise Inns: "I am not sure the public would support a ban. We have to provide good ventilation to protect staff and where possible provide no-smoking areas, otherwise we will get nailed."
Oliver Griffiths, Atmosphere Improves Results: "There has been an interesting change of tack from the anti-smoking lobbyists. It now appears to be about stopping people smoking full-stop. Every day we do nothing is a day lost."
Peter Love, national officer, National Association of Licensed House Managers: "Smokers are fully aware of the dangers of smoking but it is their choice and they should not be treated as lepers. It is not our job to victimise smokers."
John Sims, former licensee of the Three Fishes, Shrewsbury (Britain's first no-smoking pub): "As a customer, I haven't seen much evidence of signage in pubs. The voluntary approach simply isn't working."
Related articles:
Minister slams pubs for slow progress on smoking (25 November 2003)
