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Majority Support Smoking Ban
Published 16th November, 2004.
Story from uk.news.yahoo: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/041111/140/f6edx.html
The majority of the public want a ban on smoking in restaurants and cafes,
a new poll has revealed.A total of 77% of people want smoking outlawed
in restaurants, while 58% demanded a ban on smoking in enclosed public
spaces.The poll was carried out in the wake of the move to ban smoking
throughout Scotland, with tough fines for repeat offenders.
Legislation to outlaw smoking in enclosed public places in Scotland will
be launched before Christmas, and a target date of spring 2006 is being
set for full implementation.
Public pressure may now follow to impose a similar ban in England, Wales
and Northern Ireland.
The poll, which was carried out by NOP for the Mirror newspaper, surveyed
1,000 people - 73% of them smokers, 26% smokers and 1% refusing to say.
Most people favour a ban in all pubs with 49% for and 44% against, but
76% of smokers opposed outlawing smoking in pubs.
Sixty-four percent of those surveyed said a ban would not make any difference
to how much time they spent in pubs and restaurants.
Anti-smoking campaigners yesterday welcomed the plans of the Scottish
Parliament but tobacco chiefs and smokers' groups warned it would lead
to up to 10,000 job losses in the pub and restaurant industries.
Deborah Arnott, director of Ash, said: "This is great news for non-smoking
employees and members of the public who are at risk from the health damage
caused by second hand smoke."
But Freedom2Choose spokesman Rod Bullough warned that thousands of businesses
would be put at risk.
He said: "We are opposed to an outright ban on smoking in pubs and
bars but we're not opposed on health grounds.
"Nobody is stupid enough to think that smoking is good for you, but
we see a ban as a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
"Our research suggests that on the back of a ban, 10,000 jobs would
be lost and up to a thousand businesses will go down the drain."
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