Ban on smoking outside ‘could kill off pub trade’
THERE has been a mixed reaction among bar owners and customers to the plans to ban smoking outside pubs, cafes and restaurants.
This week, Health Minister Vaughan Gething said he was committed to “progress work” on the ban in the next Senedd term.
If it happens, the plan could mean big changes for outdoor seating areas at pubs in Wales, some of which opened for business for the first time in four months this week.
Although smoking inside venues has been banned here since 2007, an estimated 440,000 (17%) adults currently smoke in Wales, with almost half (45%) attempting to quit in the last year.
The Echo asked some bar owners and customers what they thought of the proposals, and the responses were mixed.
Amy McCann runs McCann’s Rock N Ale Bar in Newport, and she thinks a blanket ban would cause further damage to the hospitality industry.
“I was working the Hornblower pub the day the indoor smoking ban was introduced and you seen a decline in the number of customers straight away. To stop the smoking outside pubs will kill the trade off completely.
“My customers are split around 70/30 in favour of smokers versus nonsmokers, and the non-smokers don’t care if people are sat outside smoking. They will sit with them anyway.
“If places are serving food you could possibly have a smoking area away from the food.”
Jon Bassett owns several pubs, including the Pen and Wig in Newport and the Four Elms in Cardiff.
He said he had not yet had a chance to look into the proposed changes, but said “the last thing we need is more regulations right now”.
“Now is not the time for more regulations. With cigarettes it is getting to the stage where it’s a case of if you don’t want people to smoke them, don’t sell them,” he said.
“I know there was a law in England a few years ago about not smoking within a certain vicinity, but I didn’t hear much more about it after.
“The authorities don’t like people going out onto the streets, with things like bringing out glasses, so that wouldn’t be ideal either.
“We don’t even know if we’ve got a business, that’s the uncertainty we already face at the moment. Something like this could be another hammer blow, another battle to fight.”
Smoker Calvin Smith, 55, said: “It’s completely ridiculous. Where’s the scientific evidence? Look at how many people live to old age and smoke.
“Smokers are always the ones being attacked when there are so many issues and health risks linked to alcohol in Wales. If the Government want to do something about health, why don’t they subsidise fruit and veg on a local level? Stop adverts for pasties and pies?”
Bartender Shane Jones, 24, said: “If you stop people smoking outside pubs and clubs, they’ll inevitably lose business. When I smoke in those areas I never get people telling me they are uncomfortable because usually it’s just smokers in that area.”