Chris Maclean: pubs need to clean up their act - and no butts

In this week's local paper one of our local residents, in a letter, is ranting about the litter outside pubs in town. She particularly notes cigarette stubs outside Wetherspoon's, and in her particularly woolly-minded liberal way suggests that for every cigarette butt cast outside a pub the pub should be forced to shut for a week. Two butts for two weeks. Fifty-two butts and the pub would be shut for a year.

Here is the voice of reason. Not.

Every sane person would look at this woman's writings and laugh. She must be mad to demand such a thing.

But the frightening thing is I suspect that she is not alone in her views, that there are others out there who think the same, that her views and others are articulated through the newspapers and press, that people in power pay attention to such drivel and that, in a very unpleasant way, this becomes common currency. People start to believe in such stuff.

Yesterday I had a visit from someone keen for us to support the BII Schools Hospitality Project. It is a noble cause aiming to introduce young people in schools to the idea of socially responsible drinking and get them to see beyond the binge-drinking images favoured by the press. It is a clear response to another onslaught by the press and others to vilify the industry.

I do not think that the licensed trade has, at any time, ever has had to look so carefully at what it is offering and make sure every aspect is beyond criticism.

There are many who view the smoking ban as an aberration. Some legislative mistake or error that will be repealed. There are others that think they can carry on as before, as if none of the changes have happened.

I heard last night that the favoured 'lock-ins' of the 70s and earlier, when licensing laws prohibited sales in the afternoon and after 11pm and licensees would invite an elite coterie to have drinks after time, has now given way to 'smoke-ins' where people smoke in pubs after they are shut.

This is lunacy. At a time when the spotlight is on us like it has never been before, this is inviting condemnation.

The reality seems to be that there is a public trial out there where no defence can be submitted and the verdict is often damnation.

We have to demonstrate our suitability to do our jobs responsibly with a positive impact on our communities.

The sooner we can do this then the sooner we can get on with building back our traditional role as vital members of the community.

When people renew their passports they need to get the application countersigned by a responsible person. Why shouldn't that person be the licensee of the local pub? That is where we should be aiming.

Judge. Policeman. Doctor. Licensee.

That's not unreasonable, is it?