Ireland's smoking ban a disaster, says Irish trade leader

The smoking ban in Ireland has meant a loss of at least 2,000 jobs and a drop in trade for licensees and brewers says Tadg O'Sullivan, chief executive of the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI).

Speaking at the Federation of Licensed Victuallers' Associations AGM in Scarborough last week, he said the smoking ban, which came into force on March 29, had already had a "desperate impact" and had been an "unmitigated disaster" for the whole of the Irish hospitality sector.

"I fear a smoking ban will have the same impact on the UK when it is implemented," he said.

The VFI's latest research up to September reveals that brewers sales volume to the on-trade are down 10 per cent, spirit sales have dropped by over 10 per cent and some pubs have already been forced to close because of loss of revenue.

He said: "Almost immediately there was a drop in the number of customers and the volume of sales. Customers are unhappy to be ostracised outside pubs. They are deciding not to drink at all or at home."

While off-licence sales have increased it is nowhere near enough to counteract the total drop of sales, he argued. He also believed that during the winter months when people would not want to smoke outside sales would decrease further.

The knock—on effect on the ban has also meant a five per cent drop in English tourists. It is not just pubs which have suffered with the ban but cafes, restaurants and anywhere where people socialise.

He dismissed the Irish government's argument that a ban would encourage more non—smokers to come in.

"Non smokers have not flocked to the pub. If they have then the pub has lost 10 smoking customers."

He advised publicans in the UK to prevent a united front to fight the ban.