Smoking ban - "exclude bingo and clubs

Make bingo halls and private members' clubs in Scotland exempt from the smoking ban - that's the rallying cry from pro-smoking lobby group Forest.

A poll, carried out by Populus for Forest, revealed that 74% of adults in Scotland believe that private clubs, including working men's clubs, should be allowed to provide a well ventilated smoking room.

Two-thirds of adults (66%) believe that bingo halls should also be allowed the same privilege.

"The ban has been in force for a year now and most people still feel that places like private clubs should be able to permit smoking in separate well ventilated rooms,"​ said Forest's Neil Rafferty.

"Instead of talking about extending the smoking ban still further, the Scottish Executive should be looking at reversing some of its regulations and introducing more licensed exemptions."​Thanks to the smoking ban we've seen a dramatic downturn in the number of people using bingo halls​Brian Moteith, MSP for Mid-Scotland and Fife

Brian Moteith, MSP for Mid-Scotland and Fife and one of the leading opponents of the ban, said: "Thanks to the smoking ban we've seen a dramatic downturn in the number of people using bingo halls.​

Closing​"As a result some have closed and a large number are in danger of closing. I can't see this trend reversing unless we allow them to introduce separate areas where people can smoke.​

"The same is true of several private members' clubs in my regional constituency where bar takings have fallend angerously low.

"I hope the Executive will see sense before even more people lose their jobs and local communities lose important centres of social entertainment."