ASH slams industry for lack of evidence to oppose smoking ban

Anti-smoking group ASH has attacked claims that smoking bans would harm pub businesses.

Amanda Sandford, spokeswoman for the group, says there is no proof that fewer people will visit pubs if the government introduced bans on smoking.

She slammed the pub trade for "crying wolf" and challenged industry leaders to provide the government with some hard evidence to back up claims that a smoking ban would cripple trade.

The attack came after new research in the British Medical Journal's specialist publication Tobacco Control showed that sales would actually increase if pubs banned smoking.

But Nick Bish, chairman of the trade's Charter Group, dismissed the research because it focuses on studies carried out in America. "That's all very well in America, but it's not the same situation here. People aren't as anti-smoking over here for a start.

"Forty-four per cent of customers want to smoke in pubs. That might be a minority but it's a significant minority."

Oliver Griffiths, who heads up the Atmosphere Improves Results initiative, said it was an unfair attack.

"We have never used any of the American data. Our research has always been based in the UK. ASH hasn't done its homework and the fact that this research is based on American studies shows it is inappropriate and of no relevance at all."

However, ASH, which stands for Action on Smoking and Health, will be bringing the research to the attention of MPs and ministers in the near future.

Ms Sandford said: "We will also be holding our 'Don't choke on the smoke' conference, together with the TUC and the Institute of Environmental Health, next month. Government representatives have been invited and the research will definitely be discussed."

She dismissed claims that the research wasn't valid. "The reason Americans are anti-smoking is because of the success of smoking bans. It's a chicken and egg situation."

More than 80 per cent of the population favour smoke-free public places, according to ASH. It says any fall in the number of smokers visiting pubs as a result of a smoking ban is more than likely to be offset by an increase in pub-goers who prefer a smoke-free environment.

However, licensees argue that they will lose, on average, 39 per cent of their trade if smoking is not allowed on the premises, according to The Publican's Market Report 2002, a survey of 750 licensees.

Publicans are hoping that the industry will be allowed to self regulate with the voluntary Smoking Charter, which promotes self-regulation on smoking for the pub trade through the use of signage, good ventilation and no-smoking areas.

Nick Bish said he was confident that the agreed target of having 50 per cent of pubs complying will be met, but urged any companies who had not yet submitted information to do so urgently as this could affect the final figures. He is meeting with the Department of Health in April to discuss the figures and hopes this will convince the government that self-regulation works.

Contact the Charter Group UK on 020 8579 2080 or email nbish@almr.org.uk.