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Action on Smoking and Health
A National Legal-Action Antismoking Organization Entirely Supported by Tax-Deductible Contributions
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UK: Smoking Bans Gain Confidence [08/19-3]
Excerpts from: Smoke-free pubs gain air of confidence
By Adam Jones FT.COM
[08/19/03]
British pubs are shedding centuries of tradition by voluntarily banning smoking in the face of growing numbers of health-conscious drinkers and the threat of litigation.
Non-smoking areas within pubs and restaurants have become common in recent years. But now a small but growing number of venues are going one step further.
The anti-smoking lobby internationally is gaining momentum. New York City's decision in March to ban smoking in bars and restaurants has sent a chill through many in the UK pub trade.
But in Britain, the handful of publicans who have forbidden smoking on their premises seem - for the moment - to be successful. They have found consumer demand, at least on a niche basis, for bars with clean air.
The latest sign that banning smoking is no longer regarded as a commercial risk by even the most mainstream of outlets came yesterday as Pizza Hut outlawed smoking from its restaurants, citing the need to protect both staff and customers from passive smoking.
Sir Liam Donaldson, the chief medical officer, has called for a ban on public smoking. The Trades Union Congress also claimed recently that bans in pubs and cafes would be good for profits and employees. The UK still has a long way to go before emulating Ireland - which is bringing in a ban in January - or New York.Although there is a school of thought that insists smoke-free pubs will attract
new custom that would otherwise have stayed away out of a desire not to smell
like an over-filled ashtray, Mr Bish claimed this was by no means certain. Supporters
of a blanket ban were entitled to their opinion, he said, but he sniped: "It's
not their money at risk."
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