Anti-smoking group ASH has said the figures released today by the Scottish Licensed Trade Association are not a true reflection of the impact of the ban.
The SLTA's figures - shown here - say trade has dropped since smoking was banned in March.
We don't yet know what will happen this winter in Scottish pubs.Maureen Moore, chief executive of ASH Scotland
However, Maureen Moore, chief executive of ASH Scotland said: "Scotland's smoke-free legislation was brought in on the grounds of health, not on anecdotal reports concerning the profit margins of a minority of SLTA members.
"Before the legislation came in, The SLTA made a number of forecasts regarding its supposed impacts.
"They predicted a huge decline in profits for licensed premises, mass job loses within the licensed trade and that some 142 average-sized licensed premises could close down as a result of decreased trade.
"This scale of devastation has clearly completely failed to materialise."
The SLTA said the worst was yet to come as the winter months would lead to even more people choosing staying in over going out.
However, Moore added: "The SLTA's reputation for forecasting is not good.
"We don't yet know what will happen this winter in Scottish pubs."
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Your CommentsBill Gibson via email 23/08/2006"ASH, is this the same organisation who has openly admitted to conning Government over their claims that Second Hand Smoke is dangerous? Is this the same organisation who repeatedly fail to accept invitations to debate the issues on live television? Is this the same woman who claims that the resistance to the smoking bans is being created by the Tobacco Companies? Would Maureen Moore invest in the Hospitality Sector right now...never?"
Peter Eveliegh via email 23/08/2006"SLTA's reputation for forecasting is not good" and in another article the SLTA report is a bunch of "unsubstantiated opinion". Having followed this debate for some time; I think this survey draws from the largest number of licensed premises in Scotland so far. What dazzling arrogance Ms Moore has displayed by commenting as she has done above.
Licenced Premises ARE the coal face of this thing; they / we have been deserted by the disfractional trade bodies who claim to represent us, so what possible benefit can there be in NOT telling the truth about the effects of the ban? I could not put Bill Gibson's comments any better."
Bill Gibson via email, 23/08/2006If Maureen Moore had listened to Radio Scotland today she would have heard that bar customers are deserting the pubs in favour of drinking and smoking at home. This factor was presented to HMG on the 18th December 2005 within a report by Dr Jerome Adda, of the UCL Department of Economics and lead author of the study says: "Outright bans may not be the optimal policy in tackling passive smoking. Policies aimed at reducing exposure to tobacco instead induce changes in behaviour that can offset these policies.
He concludes, bans in bars may induce smokers to spend more time at home, and therefore expose other members of the household, especially children.
"Much of the current debate has focused on exposure of hospitality workers in the workplace but the voice of children, one of the most vulnerable groups to the effects of smoking, hasn't been fully considered. Our results suggest a better solution would be to provide alternative places for smoking in public, such as smoking rooms in bars."
I would ask Ms Moore to ponder upon this as she pens her next response to the media.
E B Cant via email, 23/08/2006Unfortunately the day is looming when the full ban will be imminent throughout the uk. I, like most landlords, feel this is more than unfair, but lets be honest, what chance do we have when our own prime minister stays on holidays amongs all our troubles recently with the airports situation.
He can`t been seen to give a s**t, and we expect them to listen to us, sorry guys, but I will keep fighting a lost cause I feel.
Blad Tolstoy via email, 23/08/2006It is hard to decide whether or not ASH is an organisation packed with those who make a habit of not telling the truth or ostriches.
Time and time again, countless different people have pointed out the failures of ASH and their ilk to present the public with the truth. Every time their pet projects and theories are challenged these latter day crusaders try and fob it off as tobacco industry lies or manipulations. Wrong,
for many people are not as foolish as they would like to believe even if many mediocre politicians are. What then does all this say too about the quality of our political class?
Michael J. McFadden via email, 25/08/2006We have Ms. Moore who is quite clearly an advocate of a position saying the ban isn't hurting business. We also have the business organization affected, whose obvious main concern is an honest evaluation of the ban's effect on their members' profits, saying the ban HAS hurt business. Why would anyone in their right mind believe Ms. Moore over those whose pocketbooks are being the ones affected? What conceivable motivation would the SLTA have for saying "The ban is costing us money" if indeed the ban was MAKING them money???
Michael J. McFadden
Author of "Dissecting Antismokers' Brains"