Regulars are staying away from pubs in Scotland since smoking was banned in March, according to a new survey.
Almost 10 times as many licensees (46%) reported a drop in visits by regular customers than reported an increase (5%).
More than half (52%) of the 152 pubs and bars surveyed saw wet sales fall since the ban, while 13% saw an increase.
We are anxious about what is going to happen in the next few months as the weather gets worse and people choose to smoke and drink more at home. SLTA chief executive Paul Waterson
One in seven (14%) said dry sales had fallen since the ban, while 5% said they had gone up, according to the survey from the Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA).
New CustomersAnd there is little indication that regulars are being replaced by new non-smoking customers - 20% reported more new customers, against 17% reporting fewer.
The survey shows that outlets with outdoor areas performed better than landlocked pubs.
Just 2% of landlocked pubs reported increased visits by regulars, compared to 7% for outlets with outdoor areas.
More than one quarter (26%) of outlets with outdoor areas said visits by non-regulars were up - compared to 11% for landlocked pubs.
Only 41% of licensees have an outside area for customers to smoke.
Trade downSLTA chief executive Paul Waterson said: "These results bare out what we have been hearing - many operations have been hit and some are suffering significant downturns in business.
"Clearly there are examples of those who have seen an increase in trade, and of those who are doing badly, but generally trade is undoubtedly down.
"We are anxious about what is going to happen in the next few months as the weather gets worse and people choose to smoke and drink more at home."
In addition, 33% of licensees surveyed said customers had tried to light up inside.
To comment on this or any other story email us by clicking this link - please indicate which story you are responding to.
Your CommentsAlastair Elliott via email 23/08/2006"It is not surprising at all to learn this information from the SLTA and as they correctly say 'It will only get worse as the winter approaches, but will the Scottish Executive listen and take heed and have a rethink to this ban of no compromises, sadly I think not as he appears to not give a damn about the suffering trade."
Robert Feal-Martinez via email 23/08/2006"According to other news reports the number of establishments taking part was actually 365. ( 365 is the number of licensed premises including hotels and restaurants - the figure of 152 is purely pubs and bars - Ed.) Perhaps now the likes of the BBPA, FLVA, etc will start to realise the extent and damage bans do. We know the official line in Scotland, is the same as Ireland that everything is OK, but that is a provable lie. It is more essential than ever that Freedom to Choose's Judicial Review challenge of the UK ban is a sucess with the Pubco model in England and Wales, a 10% drop in revenues will mean bankrupcy for many thousands of businesses. Licensees need to join the fight. You have been shown the evidence, your businesses will not survive. Mobilise your customers. Collect a pound from all those will and join our fight. You can download a poster from www.thebigdebate.org
Blad Tolstoy via email, 23/08/2006This drop in sales and business is no surprise at all for it not only follows what has happened in Ireland and in many parts of the USA but also the findings outlined by the CEBR study published in 2005.
The Scottish Executive, just like the UK government and the Welsh Assembly, has chosen to blind itself to the truth and listen instead to the fabrications of the anti-smoker lobby. It is complete mendacious nonsense, judging by the facts (as opposed to the "factoids") to say that new non-smoking customers will replace smoking ones and everyone will be happy, never mind the fact that there are quite serious contraventions of civil rights involved to boot.
Yes, there will be a very heavy and damaging price to pay for these smoker bans and people need to stop being apathetic and wake up. These bans have in fact been brought in on the back of the biggest health nut fabrication of the last 30 years which is that secondary smoke, in the quantities in which we normally experience it, is a deadly toxic substance. IT IS NOT, and now people can begin to see that they were lied to about the increased prosperity generated by smoker bans, they need to ask what else have they been lied to about.