Sunday June 29, 07:39 AM
Cheers! Publicans Drink To Smoking Ban
By Sky News
Almost two thirds of publicans now support the smoking ban despite more than half seeing a drop in trade. The figure has risen to 64%, up from the 57% when the ban came in a year ago. That is according to a poll of 1,500 licensees for trade
magazine The Publican.Almost half (48%) said they "strongly" supported the ban, saying food sales had increased and their health had improved. Some 52% reported a drop in trade, but they blamed the credit crunch more than the smoking ban. Just 10% of publicans said sales were up, while 38% said business had remained the same. A fifth of those who saw trade drop reported a fall of up to 30%. Tony Payne, chief executive of the Federation of Licensed Victuallers' Associations, said he was not surprised by the figures. He said: "We saw the same thing in Ireland when, after people got over the initial problems, it was seen as the best thing that ever happened." The Publican's survey found one in three pubs had seen new customers since the ban, mainly women and families. One respondent said: "What we have lost in smokers we have gained in families." :: Figures from the British Beer and Pub Association show more pubs closed last year than ever before - almost one in four every day.
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