Licensees' emergency smoke ban meeting
A group of licensees in Scotland have called an emergency meeting with their MSP to discuss the effects of the smoking ban.
At the meeting, tomorrow in Glenrothes, Fife, the licensees will tell Tricia Marwick MSP that the ban is costing them around £2,000 a week in lost takings.
Licensee David Nelson told Fifenow.co.uk: "We are looking for all licencees, landlords and even people like cafe owners who are being adversely affected by this to attend to see what we can do about it.
"The more people I speak to about this, the worse it seems to be getting.
"We estimate that we are losing £2,000 a week because of the ban and it can't go on like this because it is killing the pubs in the area.
"We have invited Tricia Marwick MSP to attend and she has said she will be coming along and we are waiting to hear back from Christine May.
"They voted for the ban, so it will be interesting to hear what they have got to say about it."
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Your CommentsSharon Donald via email 26/07/2006"In my opinion this is just a taste of what is going to happen in England and Wales next year. I doubt that MSP's or MPs will care one jot whether people are losing businesses or jobs. If you are a smoker you can play bingo at home on line, you can buy in drink from the supermarket, you can order a meal over the phone to be delivered to the door, you can entertain your friends at home so give me one reason why as a smoker I would want to stand outside a pub in a constructed ghetto for smokers. When I wrote and complained to my MP about the fact that non smokers could have non smoking pubs so why in a free and democractic country why can't smokers have smoking pubs I was told there was a possibility that non smokers might want to socialise with smokers and this couldnt be allowed because non smokers would be putting themselves at risk. It would appear that under this government even non smokers are not considered adult enough to make their own decisions. The government that governs the least is the government that governs the best unfortunately this government wishes only to dictate."
Mandy Vincent via email 27/07/2006"CAnd we have not even got to winter yet.
We have all been told a bunch of lies that seem norm for ASH and they sure as hell fooled the Goverment. But sorry you cannot fool all of the people. I thought Scotland was doing so well from the only news we get.
Surely losses should be compensated as you were forced into this."
Bill Gibson via email, 28/07/2006Scotland is only four months into a smoking ban and already moves are being made to extend the ban to ten meters away from venue doors. It does not take anybody with a small amount of intelligence to realise that this would then encompass most outdoor covered areas that have or are about to be provided. So come on trade wake up to the fact that you are being conned by the Pubcos who obviously have their own hidden agenda.
