Some Scottish bars are reporting a 10% drop in takings since the introduction of the smoking ban.
One week after its introduction licensees say the ban has led to drinkers who smoke choosing to stay away rather than do without cigarettes.
Some bars say the same number of people are coming through the doors but smokers who have to keep going outside for a cigarette are choosing not to stay around for as long as before.
Licensee of the Doublet in Glasgow, Alistair Don, told Scotland Today: "I think generally we're probably looking at a 10% reduction in trade. The customers have been very compliant with the law, we've had no problems in that respect.
"Smokers aren't staying as long as they normally would. "Takings down 10% is a very worrying factor, there's lots of pubs in Scotland supporting loans. If you lose 10% turnover it means your loan has been stretched to the full. It's happened in Ireland, I think it's going to happen here, some pubs are already stretching to the limit to survive, and this might just be the final nail in the coffin."
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Robert Feal-Martinez via email 03/04/2006"One week in and Scottish licensees are feeling the pinch. But this is only half of the story. Reports from Scotland are showing as with Ireland that dozens of out lying pubs are ignoring the ban. The Police have said they are not going to get involved and LA's in general are not prepared to put their staff at risk. Again as with Ireland the negative reporting by the media is distorting the reality. What ever happened to journalism being about seeking out the truth. Surely the Scottish and the National media should have learnt the lsesson Ireland. The Irish Government lied post ban about success and have been proved to be liars by The Ministry of Tobacco Control, their own agency. The fight is still not over. The House of Lords in growing numbers are seeing through all the lies. WWW.thebigdebate.org, Freedom to Choose has had no small part in that, well supported by Iain O'Neil and the Morning Advertiser. Help the fight click on the link and get your Petitions. Show Tony Blair and The Scottish Executive you will not go down without a fight."
Elizabeth Adams"I thinkyour story that profits are down in Scottish pubs is a load of old rubbish. Scotland on Sunday says that profits are substantially up - in some cases by as much as 30%.
Are these real figures you are reporting as fact, or just some p****d off bar man who can't smoke at work anymore having a moan?"
Robert Feal-Martinez via email 03/04/2006"With respect Elizabeth, we know that the SE has lied throughout this entire process, why should you assume they are telling the truth now. I have many colleagues in Scotland both smokers and non smokers who report how quiet the pubs are. Indeed I have photographs of some of the usually busy pubs in Edinburgh at 8 O'clock in the evening which are literally empty. No hype, no anti ban people just ordinary Scottish punters taking photographs. As for the 10% drop quoted that is quite good really in the first weeks of the Irish ban it was 25 to 30% and stayed there. My advice would not to blindly believe politicians, my long experience of them is that they are incapable of telling the truth."
Belinda Cunnison via email 03/04/2006"I frequent a bar in Edinburgh city centre that has live music as an attraction, and takings are indeed substantially up. However they have a late license for this month and the takings in the daytime are well down. Furthermore not only bars are affected: a popular cafe down the road, usually bustling with breakfast orders, is all but dead and there is no compensatory factor late at night.
When you see people trying to manage two walking sticks and a cigarette, it is not surprising that the takings at certain times of day and for certain venues are down."
Colin Grainger via email 03/04/2006"Poor Elizabeth. Still believe everything you read in the papers? You should stick to the Morning Advertiser for truth and accuracy.
Here's a short diary on my four day stay in Aberdeen last week, right at the beginning of the ban. (26th-29th March)
Monday 27th: visited 6 bars and one restaurant. Busiest bar had 6 people in it. Restaurant was one third full.
Tuesday 28th: visited 5 bars and one restaurant. Busiest bar had 40 people in it*. Restaurant was half full.
*The bar was sending smokers to a room marked "private" rather than sending them out in the rain. I noticed three or four regulars who took it in turns to rotate on the street to throw off any Tobakko Kops.
Wednesday 29th: visited 6 bars and one restaurant. Busiest bar had 5 people in it. Restaurant was jammed*.
*The restaurant thought that smokers right outside their entrance would dissuade would be diners and made a spare room upstairs available for smokers.
Aberdeen is an oil town and believe me when I say that there is lots of money around. Apart from the thousands of visiting businessmen and women, we have two big universities, a college and a busy international port. Previous visits have seen me struggling to get to the bar.
I fully expected to see hordes of non-smokers enjoying the smoke free atmosphere. Where are you all? You are most certainly not filling up the bars in Aberdeen.
In summary then, no science involved, just a pair of old fashioned eyeballs. And let me further assure you that I have the eyes of a young hawk.
You, on the other hand, really need to remove your rose tinted spectacles.
It will not help the English and Welsh pubs and clubs to be told that all is well. They deserve the truth. The future is bleak."
Liz Barber via email, 03/04/2006Mr Grainger speaks the truth - my husband, who works in Aberdeen, also went fact finding with his camera phone - and the fact is he found the bars deserted!!
I imagine that bar owners, like the rest of us, have to pay tax? Is Ms Adams suggesting that the bar owners are conspiring to avoid payment of tax by under declaration of profit? Surely not - I think HMG would be on to that one - don't you?
Alastair Elliott via email 06/04/2006"It is obvious that profits are going to be down, at the end of the day there are no droves of Non Smokers waiting to go to Pubs only if they are Smoke Free. The only trade that will take a big hit is that of the Smokers visiting Pubs. Smokers are traditionally a good percentage of Pub visiting people."
Alastair Elliott via email 07/04/2006"Elizabeth, dont believe the media go out and visit these places in person then you will find out the truth, which is in fact quite right what Bob says.
Bans are a big loser, Choice is the big winner."