Smoking, binge drinking and new hours - what consumers reall

Will your pub really close if ministers go ahead with plans to ban smoking? Are licensees to blame for binge drinking? And will extended opening make it worse? Rosie Davenport reveals the findings of an exclusive survey of consumers' attitudes by leading researchers HI Europe

The Government has set out its stall and the trade has reacted. But now consumers have the opportunity to give their views on the three big issues currently affecting pubs - smoking, binge drinking and extended opening.

For the first time, the Morning Advertiser is publishing the results of a major poll of 2,350 consumers into what they think about the issues influencing the future of the licensed trade. In an exclusive study conducted by market analyst HI Europe, we outline:

how a smoking ban could benefit pubs;

who consumers believe is to blame for binge drinking;

whether extended opening times will be good for business.

As the trade gets embroiled in yet more speculation about the Government's intention to introduce a smoking ban, consumers have made it very clear what they want.

A 61% majority say they would back a ban, compared with 31% who want to be able to light up while having a drink. Not surprisingly, those in favour are mostly non-smokers, but, crucially for pubs, these people also represent a pool of potential new custom. According to the research, 41% of consumers who visit a pub once a fortnight would go more often if smoking was outlawed, while 14% of those who never go to a pub would also change their habits. About one-third (32%) of respondents who never visit pubs say it is because they are too smoky.

George Terhanian, president of HI Europe, explains: 'There is little question over whether or not pubs should ban smoking. A clear majority supports a total smoking ban in pubs and bars, which, encouragingly, includes one in four current smokers.

'The research indicates that, if a total smoking ban is instituted, more people will frequent pubs and bars more often.

And it seems that publicans need not worry too much about losing existing customers, either, since 56% of consumers say a ban would make no difference to their behaviour.

In effect, this suggests that a smoking ban could present a greater opportunity for pubs to grow business rather than to lose it. The study shows that a ban would have no overall impact on trade, since customers who were previously deterred by smoking will replace those who say they would visit the pub less often because of a ban.

Terhanian adds: 'Crucially among those who venture to pubs and bars at least once a week, the ban will have no overall impact. Although 23% of these barflies report that they will frequent pubs and bars less often, a similar proportion tell us that a ban on smoking will increase the frequency of their visits. A love for the pub transcends the issue for the remaining 56%, for whom it will make no difference, with the overall net result being no shift in the status quo.

Methodology who was interviewed?

HI Europe conducted the research with 2,350 consumers aged over 18 through its online Harris Poll Global Omnibus survey. The poll took place on 9 to 14 February 2005. For more information, contact Caroline North on 0208 263 5246 or email cnorth@hieurope.com.

Binge drinking

Calls for the trade to accept a greater responsibility for binge drinking, which 80% of consumers think is worse than it was five years ago, overlook the fact that most drinkers believe it is down to them to monitor their own consumption. A startling 72% of those who think the nation has a problem with binge drinking say it's the responsibility of individuals to solve the problem.

That said, nearly half of respondents believe pub owners and managers (47% and 44% respectively) should promote responsible drinking, ahead of manufacturers (36%). The authorities, including Government and the police, are perceived by consumers as having the least responsibility.

Research into whether new licensing hours could exacerbate the issue shows that people who go to the pub frequently think binge drinking will decrease, while those who visit the pub less often fear it will worsen with longer opening.

Terhanian attributes this stark contrast in opinions to the intense media focus that there has been on binge drinking and the effects of the Licensing Act, as well as the Government's lack of clarity on what constitutes problem drinking.

He adds: 'There has been a lot of bad press in the past few years about bingeing and drinking, with the two being perceived as going hand in hand. While an exact definition of binge drinking is still largely debated, arguably one of the keys to binge drinking is the amount of time available to drink in.

'So it's encouraging to see that nearly one in five adults (19%) believe that extending the opening hours to 24 will decrease binge drinking, with regular visitors to the pub even more likely to think so (26%).

'With much ambiguity surrounding the definition of binge drinking and its increased media attention, it is not surprising that infrequent pub goers are significantly more likely to think that the 24-hour opening times will increase binge drinking. With such polarisation between frequent and infrequent visitors to the pub, there is an opportunity to educate both groups about socially-responsible drinking.

The perceptions of the majority of consumers who believe the UK has a binge-drinking problem highlight several factors applicable to the drinks trade as a whole.

The availability of cheap alcohol is cited by 53% of consumers as the main cause of the problem, followed by a succession of cultural trends, including new attitudes to fun (48%), people having nothing better to do (42%), 'it's a British thing (35%) and work-related stress (26%). Only 19% believe pubs shutting too early leads to binge drinking.