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ASH Daily News

2 November 2005

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HEADLINES

Imperial Chief 'not happy at all' with smoking ban

Study of health of workers in Ireland before and after smoking legislation

Wetherspoon sees trade off between drink and food

The case of the smoking ban riddle in pubs

FULL TEXT

Imperial Chief 'not happy at all' with smoking ban

Gareth Davis, the chief executive of Imperial Tobacco, has added his voice to the diverse crowd decrying the government's ramshackle health bill. He said he was "not happy at all" about the Government's smoking ban proposals. Even so, he predicted confidently: "It is clear that smokers will continue to smoke. There may be an initial dip in consumption but this diminishes over time."

Mr Davis cited Ireland, where cigarette consumption fell by 5 per cent after a ban was introduced but volumes are now perking up again, he said. Even so, he admitted that the long-term impact of the English smoking ban would probably be to reduce consumption by 1 to 2 per cent.

The pubs group Wetherspoon criticised the Government's non-smoking proposals yesterday as a "halfway house" and said it was "plain stupid" to ban smoking in some pubs and not in others. Jim Clarke, the finance director, said: "To force people to decide between smoking or food is a strange strategy."

Imperial's annual profits are up 11 per cent, the company reported. It also announced that it would spend £450m on buying back shares in the absence of major acquisitions.

The British Hospitality Association (BHA) has also slammed the Government's plan to outlaw smoking in the workplace as a "chaotic muddle" that raises more questions than it answers.

Source: Independent, Reuters, Caterer, 2 November 2005
Article link: (I) http://tinyurl.com/8txby: (R) http://tinyurl.com/dtgmy: (C) http://tinyurl.com/d9zer


Study of health of workers in Ireland before and after smoking legislation

The smoke-free law in the Republic of Ireland protects non-smoking bar workers from exposure to secondhand smoke.

That is the conclusion of a study published in the British Medical Journal that found an 80 per cent reduction in bar staff's cotinine levels after legislation was in place.

Source: BMJ, 31 October 2005
Article link (Abstract): http://tinyurl.com/bup96
Study link (PDF): http://tinyurl.com/clfkd


Wetherspoon sees trade off between drink and food

Wetherspoon's said sales in its 47 non-smoking pubs fell 7.3 per cent in the 13 weeks to October 23.

Bar sales continued to experience "sharp declines", but were being compensated for by increasing food sales, it added.

Wetherspoon finance director Jim Clarke said the group was still on course to have 50 non-smoking pubs in place by the end of the year.

It would then call a halt to any more conversions to non-smoking until it had reviewed the situation, although Mr Clarke added the group had no plans to remove food from its offer.

Weekly food sales per pub averaged at around £6,000, he said.

The group added that under the new licensing legislation virtually all of its pubs would open at 9am, seven days a week, although it believed the majority of sales at this time "would comprise breakfasts, coffees and other non-alcoholic drinks".

Source: Guardian, Publican, 2 November 2005
Article link: (P) http://tinyurl.com/ce5tl


The case of the smoking ban riddle in pubs

Extract from the journal of Dr John H Watson:

It was a crisp winter morning as Mr Sherlock Holmes and I strolled through the bustling streets of Birmingham in hot pursuit of the evil mastermind, Professor Moriarty.

"This thrill-of-the-chase business is dashed thirsty work," I remarked to Holmes.

He looked at me with that familiar sharp, penetrating gaze.

"Perhaps a brief sojourn to a welcoming hostelry would not go amiss, old friend," he winked.

"Remarkable, Holmes!" I cried. "Your powers of deduction never cease to amaze me."

A couple of minutes later, we were sitting opposite each other in a comfortable ale house.

I motioned to the barkeep, while Holmes stuffed his pipe with his strongest black tobacco.

The barkeep, a stout man, florid of complexion, arrived at our table.

"Beggin' yer pardon, sirs," he mumbled. "'Fraid you're going to 'ave to knock that on the 'ead."

With a grimy finger he pointed to a sign above the door which carried the legend: 'No Smoking."

"By Jove, the impertinence!" I bellowed, jumping to my feet, eager to box the impudent bounder's ears.

"If there is any head being knocked upon, it shall be yours!"

"Stand fast, old fellow," said Holmes, squeezing my arm. "Our friend has a point. When the Government's new Health Bill comes into effect, it shall indeed mean that I am no longer able to indulge my passion for tobacco. In public at least."

"Dash it all, Holmes!" I exclaimed, slamming my fist into my palm. "That can't be right. I thought you could still smoke in public houses that didn't serve food."

"That is where the skills of detection come into effect," Holmes answered, tapping his hawk-like nose.

Producing a large magnifying glass, he started to circulate the room.

"A-ha!" he bellowed.

"What is it, Holmes - a clue?"

"Better than a clue, Watson," the Empire's finest sleuth answered triumphantly. "It's a brie cheese baguette. With extra lettuce and tomato!"

He held it aloft, ignoring protestations from the hungry-looking diner from whose plate it had been evicted.

"Clearly, this baguette is the villain of the peace and must be dealt with accordingly."

Holmes bowled it through a nearby window.

"But I don't understand," I exclaimed.

"Elementary, my dear Watson. As long as food was being served, my pipe was purdah. As you can see, I have now solved that little problem."

"The deuce you have!" I replied. "This Bill still makes no sense. Either you ban something or you don't.

"If what you say is true, it is bound to affect the health of poverty stricken coves more than the rich. Your wealthier tippler tends to imbibe in saloons which serve food. Not so the poor.

"If this Bill goes into effect, the rich will be left breathing clean, fresh air. Meanwhile the working man will be forced to inhale hell!"

"That entirely depends on the brand of tobacco," snapped Holmes.

"But your point, although bloated by bombast, is a pertinent one. And leads, if I am not mistaken, to an even more curious puzzle.

"Why has a Labour Government, which purports to defend the rights of the working class, introduced such a Bill?

"All it will do is make the gap between the health of the working class and middle class greater still.

"What can it mean?"

Holmes jammed his pipe in his mouth, lighting it.

This time the barkeep offered no resistance.

"Don't be absurd Watson," said the great detective. "This is politics we are talking about. Even I cannot hope to comprehend its impenetrable, but patently absurd mysteries."

Source: IcBirmingham, 30 October 2005
Article link: http://tinyurl.com/c2aoy

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