Mulholland: smoking ban extension would be 'ludicrous'

Any plans to extend the smoking ban to door entrances and possibly beer gardens are "ludicrous", according to one pro-pub MP.

Lib Dem Greg Mulholland, also chair of the Parliamentary Save the Pub Group, hit out at Government plans to review the smoking ban and consider whether it should be extended to door entrances or even beer gardens.

He has tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament warning against such a move, which, he said, would lead to more people staying at home to drink and smoke.

This may put other family members and young children's health at risk, he warned.

“Just when pubs have got to grips with the smoking ban and have found ways to cater for non-smokers and smokers alike, this nanny state New Labour Government wants to ban something else," said Mulholland.

“This really is quite ludicrous as well as draconian and will cause more damage to pubs that are already hard hit in the current climate. It is as if members of the Government wake up, look at themselves in the mirror and think ‘What can I do to damage the pub trade today?”

“It is high time Ministers woke up to the positive role that pubs play in communities and as a controlled, sociable drinking environment are actually an important part of the solution to problem dirking, rather than treating people as naughty children and trying to ban everything."
 

Source: Morning Advertiser 3 Feb 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/ct4uxE

Smoking 'most Crucial Health Challenge Facing The NHS'

NHS Confederation chair Bryan Stoten has said that smoking is the most crucial health challenge facing the NHS in response to the government's new tobacco control strategy. He also called for a cross party concensus on smoking policy. 

The chair of the NHS Confederation today called for cross-party consensus on the future of policy towards smoking, which he described as the most crucial health challenge facing the health service.

Bryan Stoten, was responding to the release by Secretary of State for Health, Andy Burnham, of the Government's tobacco control strategy.

"Terrible ill health is directly caused by smoking and its cost to both wider society generally and the health service specifically is measured in lost days at work from sickness, the high cost of treatment and families who lose loved ones far too young and far too early to painful and distressing disease," he said.

"Smoking kills half of all lifelong smokers, wastes £2.5bn of NHS income and accounts for over half of all health inequality. This is the most crucial health challenge facing the NHS. The NHS can play its part in tackling the symptoms of smoking related disease as well as helping to educate the population at large about the dangers of the habit but it needs to be recognised that the rest of society also needs to play its part. It is right that politicians are engaging seriously with issues around the packaging, promotion and use of tobacco products, but this too is only a part of the solution.

"What is needed is nothing less than a society-wide effort to educate, persuade and prompt people to either give up smoking, or better still, not to take the habit up in the first place. This needs action across the public and private sectors as well as real vision and leadership from leaders across the political spectrum, where we need to build genuine cross-party consensus - we are making progress in tackling this dangerous habit but there is plenty of work still to be done."

Source: mediLexicon 3 Feb 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/9ojc4I

Kate Moss demands VIP smoking area at Selfridges launch of Longchamp bags

It's designer handbags at dawn for Kate Moss - who's only just put her name to a range of arm candy. The supermodel, 36, has been signed up by fab French bag manufacturers Longchamp.

Her bag range for them will launch at Selfridges in London later this month. But it seems Kate wants her name in giant lights and has demanded an outside VIP smoking lounge. Surely she is supposed to be selling bags not smoking fags? Our spy says: "It's Kate Moss - she can ask for what she likes and they'll probably bend over and give it to her.

Longchamp are spending a fortune on the sponsorship deal to boost the label.  But it'll look more of a promotion for brand Moss. "The outside area is a bit of a problem. Her people want couches, cushions, tables, heaters and candles to make it comfy for her to have a fag. But she's only due to be there for an hour. They don't want to pay out lots for her to mingle with selected guests, only for her to hide in her VIP room necking champers with her mates."
 

Source: Daily Mirror 4 Feb 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/b9Qm1V

Now you can smoke in a bingo hall

If you live in Leicestershire you will be able to smoke while playing bingo at a real bingo hall.

The smoking ban proved to be a disaster for many bingo clubs. As soon as it was introduced attendances fell off rapidly. This, along with the recession and unusual bingo taxes that have been introduced, has resulted in many halls closing down. Now a bingo hall in Leicestershire has found a legal way to beat the ban.

The club is called Beacon Bingo and it is located in the Leicestershire town of Loughborough, a new bingo site. They are planning to install a steel cage around an outside area where players can smoke. Currently there is only a canopy above the smoking area, and it is only suitable for popping outside for a quick cigarette, but by enclosing it with a steel cage it is possible to install gaming machines in it so that people can carry on playing.

The fact that the smoking area will be enclosed and cordoned off from the general public means that it will be legal to install fruit machines, and they plan to install four of them. In fact this is not the only club considering the idea. If it is shown to increase attendances the idea will be adopted by many other bingo establishments.

Although some bingo players who are smokers have expressed some trepidation about standing around in a cage, the majority welcome the idea. They say that although they can go outside for a smoke currently, they have nothing to do when they are out there which is boring. With the new gaming machines they will have something to occupy them.

The scheme is still at the planning stage, and a special gaming licence is needed before it can be but into action, but the club manager is confident that this will be granted. He is hoping that the cage will prove more effective than his previous attempt to woo back the deserted bingo smokers: that was to supply them with fake cigarettes. Unfortunately it bombed and only a hundred or so were ever sold.
 

Source: Article Alley 3 Feb 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/bMvDuw 

Imperial Tobacco sales defy crackdown on smoking

Investors in Imperial Tobacco received a welcome boost yesterday in the face of Government plans to crack down on the tobacco industry as the company said it was trading in line with expectations. 

Imperial's share price rose after chief executive Gareth Davis said the company had made "a good start to the year... despite the weak economic environment."
 

Mr Davis, who will be replaced by his deputy Alison Cooper when he retires in May, said Imperial's market share in the UK had remained steady at 45pc as the size of the duty paid market grew by 1pc, while the performance outside of the key European markets of Britain, Germany and Spain was particularly strong. 

"Cigarette volumes have been particularly strong in our rest of European Union region and we have also maintained our growth momentum in our rest of the world region with further cigarette share gains in Africa, the Middle East and Asia Pacific," Mr Davis said.

Imperial's chief executive slammed UK Government proposals to introduce a ban on cigarette pack branding.

"There is no credible evidence that young people start smoking or adult smokers continue to smoke because of tobacco packaging," Mr Davis said. "Making all tobacco products available in the same generic plain packaging will further fuel the growth in illicit trade and undermine the government's plans to increase investment in tackling smuggling and counterfeiting."

Imperial also highlighted its success in reducing debt levels since its £11bn acquisition of Altadis, the Spanish tobacco company, in late 2008.

"Our ongoing focus on working capital and cash generation will enable us to further strengthen our balance sheet by continuing to reduce debt," Mr Davis said.
 

Source: Daily Telegraph 4 Feb 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/acy2VF