Public give smoking ban seal of approval

By Matt Eley Matt

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Smoking ban Smoking

Year one of the smoking ban has been hailed a success by people on both sides of the bar. Last week The Publican revealed results of exclusive...

Year one of the smoking ban has been hailed a success by people on both sides of the bar.

Last week The Publican​ revealed results of exclusive research - conducted by CGA Strategy - that showed of 1,500 licensees quizzed the majority (64 per cent) support the ban, even though 52 per cent said it had a negative impact on trade.

The findings are supported by the Department of Health report Smokefree England which indicates that 76 per cent of the population and 55 per cent of smokers are in favour of the ban.

Public Health minister Dawn Primarolo said: "It's clear the law is working. Bar workers are inhaling far less smoke and most people think the law has had a positive effect on the country's health."

The report also stated that exposure for bar workers to hazardous second-hand smoke has been reduced by 76 per cent and that the number of people quitting smoking has gone up by 22 per cent.

In a separate study of consumers by researchers HIM it was revealed that 66 per cent of people think pubs are better places smoke-free.

However beer and spirit sales have been hit hard by the smoking ban, according to market analysts Nielsen.

Around 175million less pints have been drunk in the last year as a direct result of the ban.

In the nine months from July to March volume sales of alcohol in the on-trade in England and Wales fell eight per cent - before the ban the rate was falling at three per cent.

In The Publican's​ survey licensees rated the credit crunch as being more significant to the impact on sales than the smoking ban.

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