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ASH Daily News

22 October 2004

HEADLINES

Caterer's smoke-free campaign continues
Hotel chain to ban smoking "in two weeks"
Hong Kong: New laws to ban smoking
Comment and reaction after Liverpool's smoke-free vote
Smoke-free beer gardens could be worth "20 percent more"

FULL TEXT

Caterer's smoke-free campaign continues

Trade publication the Caterer and Hotelkeeper pulled no punches in a
forthright editorial urging any smoking ban to be total.

Citing this week's SCOTH leaked report into the dangers of second hand
smoke, the Caterer flagged up its Stub out Smoking in the workplace
campaign. It went on to state that "Talk of Government enforcing a
partial ban excluding wet-led pubs presumably means that it cares less
for the people working in the traditional boozers."

The Caterer noted that the hospitality trade's reaction to the idea of a
partial ban drew criticism. The British Beer and Pub Association said it
was unclear how the Health Secretary's proposal could be implemented.
The TUC were also sceptical about the plans. General Secretary Brendan
Barber said: "Half measures will not save the 700 employees who will die
every year because of passive smoking at work.

Reporting on the SCOTH report the Caterer noted that a spokesman for pub
chain JD Weatherspoon also supported legislation for a complete ban, and
said a partial restriction would be a "fudge".

The Caterer can also add celebrated DJ Danny Rampling as part of its
campaign to stub out smoking in pubs, clubs, bars, restaurants and
hotels.

The legendary House Music DJ believes it is time the Government moved to
ban smoking in public places. "Passive smoking kills, it is ridiculous
to suggest it doesn't. The Government needs to act to bring in a total
ban, but it doesn't seem to know which way to go on the issue", said
Rampling, the former Radio 1 DJ.

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper, 21 October 2004


Hotel chain to ban smoking "in two weeks"

Ramada Jarvis is to outlaw smoking in all of its 57 hotels after
widespread support from customers and staff.

By November 5 no smoking will be permitted in hotel public areas,
restaurants, leisure clubs and conference rooms. The majority of the
floor space in its hotel bars and lounges will also become nicotine
free, whilst smoking at the bar will be banned in an effort to protect
the health of staff.

During the first week of 2005 the hotel chain, which has almost 5,000
bedrooms in the UK hopes to have deep-cleaned and converted 75 percent
of its bedroom stock to no-smoking.

The hotel company said that the measure was principally about choice for
staff and customers. However, it has decided against a complete ban in
its properties until legislation was in place.

The owners of the Ballard's Bar and Lounge at the Royal Albion Hotel in
Broadstairs, Kent have also opted to go the smoke-free route from
November 1. "We feel that it is not only correct on moral grounds but
commercially we feel it makes good sense", the proprietors said.

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper, 21 October 2004


Hong Kong: New laws to ban smoking

Hong Kong has decided to outlaw smoking in bars and restaurants, joining
cities like New York and countries like Ireland.

The territory's legislature voted overwhelmingly in favour of the ban
after a late-night debate. The law will take effect next summer.

Source: International Herald Tribune, 22 October 2004


Comment and reaction after Liverpool's smoke-free vote

Liverpool Councillors' decision to ban smoking in public places earlier
this week draws comment from the Financial Times. The paper thinks the
vote is indicative of changes in British attitudes towards cigarettes -
attitudes that appear to be hardening. Change of some sort is
"inevitable" and "national action is likely", with the Scottish
Executive and Welsh Assembly also introducing regional bans.

The FT also notes that the pub trade, detecting a shift in public mood
has moved to show it can regulate itself, with no-smoking pubs cropping
up. There remains entrenched resistance in Westminster to new
legislation which some politicians fear might be too draconian. Some
Labour MPs think a smoking ban in pubs would not go down well with their
constituents: "one Labour minister described the idea of banning smoking
in his greater Manchester constituency as a "bloody joke", the FT
reports.

The tobacco industry is refusing to panic and playing down any possible
effect a ban might have on sales. Gallaher has argued that bans would
change smoking behaviour of heavy smokers but not consumption. However,
some observers think the manufacturers are fighting on the back foot.
"The controls on smoking being produced by politicians and the pub trade
go further than would have seemed likely even a decade ago", the sates
FT. "A national ban in a few years seems far from impossible."

The city's smoke-free vote is not welcomed in some quarters. Elsewhere
in the FT the move is severely criticised. Rob Guttman, owner of the Pan
American Club, and a number of other trendy bars in Liverpool said the
measure was driven by political correctness and that it undermined the
city's continuing renaissance.

Yet the FT notes that Liverpool is a city where men are more than one
and half times more likely to die from smoking related illness than the
UK average, and that it is trying to reinvent itself as a lively, free
thinking city.

Frank McKenna, Chairman of Downtown Liverpool believes banning smoking
gives the city a contemporary feel. Ian Meadows, Chairman of Liverpool
Chamber of Commerce also welcomed the smoking ban initiative. He said:
"Liverpool has the highest cancer rates in the country and it is
incumbent on all the city's partners and stakeholders to take a lead in
improving the health of our citizens and protect our employees."

Source: FT, 22 October 2004
Link: http://news.ft.com/cms/s/b90947c0-23c8-11d9-aee5-00000e2511c8.html



Smoke-free beer gardens could be worth "20 percent more"

Urban pubs, bars and restaurants with gardens could be worth up to 20
percent more if smoking is banned in public, reports the Financial
Times.

One property agent said it was difficult to shift pubs without outdoor
space. "The buyers just aren't interested", he said.

John Sturge noted that the prospect of a ban was already an issue:
"developers I'm dealing with are considering this when buying. Prices
are unlikely to drop in small villages where the choice of pub is
limited. However, in city centres, Mr Kinsey observed "If you have an
attractive roof garden or heated area that could make a difference of 10
to 20 percent on the trade and therefore the price."

Source: Financial Times: 22 October 2004

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Harold Wilson
ASH
102 Clifton Street
London EC2A 4HW
http://www.ash.org.uk
Tel: 020 7739 5902