According to the British Beer and Pub Association, 488,000 fewer pints of beer were sold in public houses; meanwhile, supermarkets report a sustained growth in their sales. In fact, beer sales increased by 1.6%, despite the 4.3% drop in the on-trade. No one can deny that the 35% increase on beer tax since March 2008, and the difference in beer prices between the pubs and supermarkets, have had an effect on pub sales, but the really surprising thing is that very few in the pub trade will officially admit the other reason why so many pubs are closing.
By not contesting the smoking ban, the publicans stood by and watched their core customers thrown out onto the streets; the publicans encouraged their core customers to buy from the supermarkets and drink at home. Their core customers were the smokers who, by their own admission, often stayed longest in the pub and often brought their non-smoking friends in with them, increasing footfall.
The BII says that:
The smoking ban has had a serious, continuing effect on trade with the very important custom of smokers now much diminished, and little positive news in terms of increased non-smoker or family business.
I believe that those who do not wish to have tobacco smoke with their drinks should have premises that are smoke free and that families should be able to use those. I also believe that smokers have an equal right to drink in premises that cater for their needs and that premises which opt to go either smoking or to have a smoking room will fill a niche in the market. Footfall and profit will increase for both the publicans and the government. Non-pub-goers have the option to buy their drink from supermarkets or shops and drink at home.
There is absolutely no reason why smoking pubs, non-smoking pubs and the supermarkets cannot all benefit from the market – even the government wins. The biggest winner of all has to be the public who get the Freedom2Choose where they socialise.
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