Winning hearts & minds

The way is open now for the pub trade's own sensible and measured approach

Andrew Pring, Editor

It was probably no coincidence that Mitchells and Butlers chose to announce a no-smoking policy in its 12 Grimsby pubs the day before Government released the latest smoking consultation paper. This trial is exactly the kind of initiative the trade needs if it's to convince sceptics that it really can deliver on that promise last year of all pubs offering 80% non-smoking space by the end of December 2009.

More and more pubs are looking at how they adjust to what will one day be a non-smoking future. Part of their calculations are based on the fact that smoking is becoming less popular, and that pubs should reflect that in the space and consideration they give to non-smokers. But pubs also know that they can't afford to alienate smokers, so each licensee has to make his own calculation of just how far down this route he should currently go.

Leaving these calculations to individuals should be the answer to the whole smoking debate. But now the dangers of passive smoking are so well established, that laissez-faire route is no longer tenable. Government is obliged to act to protect public health. And licensees, too, are starting to accept they also must acknowledge their obligations. The actions of M&B and others show that the licensed trade is responding to these social pressures, and is well on the way with encouragement from trade bodies to minimising the exposure of customers to smoke, while at the same time allowing people to smoke in a controlled environment.

Sadly the Government has failed to display the same concern. Its proposal that non-food pubs can allow smoking with practically no restrictions is so flawed that this will surely crumble in the consultation period. What takes its place must not be a total ban, and the protestations of ministers this week that this is not their covert plan are as reassuring as these pledges ever can be. For sure, Government would look incompetent if it backtracked now and plumped for a total ban, even though Scotland and Wales are heading Ireland's way. Our Government still realises that an all-out ban does not reflect public opinion. The way is open now for the pub trade's own sensible and measured approach to win hearts and minds in Westminster.