SMOKING BAN LOOMS
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| Should smoking be banned in public places? |
As the anti-smoking lobby grows,
many pubs and restaurants are thinking about banning smoking.
Inside
Out looks at whether North Easterners will be fuming mad if no smoking
bans get the go-ahead.
It's enough to make smokers fuming mad, but plans to
bring American style no smoking bars to the North East could save thousands
of lives.
120,000 smokers die every year of smoking-related diseases
such as lung cancer and heart attacks, six times the number killed in
road accidents.
The North East of England is one of the worst offenders
with 30% of the population lighting up compared with 27% in the country
as a whole.
Now the region could be the first in Britain to impose
smoking bans in bars and public places if local Health Authorities have
their way.
Declaring war on tobacco?
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| Smoking in
public places could be a thing of the past |
According to the World Health Organisation, one out of
every two long-term smokers will be killed by tobacco.
From 1985-2000, tobacco has killed more than 60 million
people in the developed countries alone, more than died in World War Two.
In the North East it's a similar story with one of the
worst mortality rates from smoking-related illnesses in the UK.
In the North East 85 men and 44 women per 100,000 contract
lung cancer each year compared to the national average of 72 men and 35
women per 100,000.
Snuffed Out
The Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Strategic Health Authority
is concerned about the statistics, and has applied for 拢5m in European
funding to set up an Office For Tobacco Control.
Dr Stephen Singleton, Head of the the Strategic Health
Authority, thinks that a smoking ban is likely to happen in the North
East within the next five years.
"I think that we could be the first region to ban
smoking. We've got a big problem with smoking with about 30% smokers,
higher than the national average," he says.
"We know that there's a majority of people would
would think about a ban and would possibly support it."
Smoke-Free Zone?
But what would be the effect of declaring war on tobacco
in the North East, and would smokers be happy to comply with any ban on
smoking in public places?
Inside Out decided to find out. We asked the Medical
School at the University of Newcastle to carry out a public opinion survey
into smoking in public places.
The results make for intriguing reading, and suggest
that the majority of people would be supportive of an overall smoking
ban in public places.
Sixty-three percent of North Easterners surveyed supported a ban.
An overwhelming majority of 83% agreeing with a ban in restaurants and
cafes.
The main reasons people gave in support of a ban
were:
- to improve their own health - 31%
- to improve the health of others - 36%
- to reduce unpleasant smells - 25%
- to prevent environmental damage - 6%
SMOKING
BAN? |
|
Overall smoking ban:
Yes: 63%
No: 33%
Don't Know: 4%
Pubs and Clubs:
Yes: 37%
No: 57%
Don't Know: 6%
Restaurants and cafes:
Yes: 83%
No: 16%
Don't know: 1%
Shopping Malls:
Yes: 72%
No: 26%
Don't know: 2%
Outside places:
Yes: 23%
No: 74%
Don't know: 3%
At home:
Yes: 27%
No:
70%
Don't know:
3%
At work:
Yes: 72%
No:
23%
Don't know:
4%
Source: Survey by the Medical
School at the University of Newcastle
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But a third of people in the survey said that they would
oppose a ban. The 'no' lobby was especially strong from smokers, 56% of
whom opposed an overall ban.
The main reasons given were that it was a breach of civil
liberties (19%), they were active smokers (14%) and smoking bans would
not be enforceable (5%).
The City That Never Smokes
The North East isn't the first place to consider banning
smoking in public places.
California was one of the first places to introduce a
no smoking policy five years ago. Other American states like Delaware
and Maryland have followed.
In March 2003, New York's Mayor introduced a controversial
smoking ban in the city's 20,000 bars, clubs and and restaurants.
This was despite resistance from bar proprietors and the city's 1.3 million
smokers.
Bars that flout the ban are liable to fines of $400.
Inside Out travelled to New York to investigate whether the smoking ban
was having the desired effect in cutting smoking.
The Big Smoke
Reaction to the smoking ban in New York has been mixed.
Some businesses claim that trade is down and that smokers are deserting
bars in droves.
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| New York -
the city's streets look like ash trays |
Others say that that the effect on businesses has been
minimal although smokers are now going out onto the streets to enjoy a
smoke.
This has led to problems of noise in residential areas
and complaints about the growing heap of cigarette butts outside venues.
There is some evidence that smokers are staying home
or indulging in behind-doors smoking sessions in hotel rooms.
It's probably too soon to assess the full impact of the
ban in New York particularly on businesses.
In California, where the ban has been in place much
longer, there's evidence that bar sales haven't been affected.
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| This sign could
become a regular addition in North East pubs and cafes |
Seventy-three percent of Californians now support the ban as opposed to
65% when it was first introduced.
Smoke and the City
Back in Britain, we decided to try out a smoking ban
for one night at the Magnesia Bank pub in North Shields.
Despite high hopes, it was not a runaway success. Several
regular drinkers turned away when they saw that they couldn't smoke, others
stood outside and fumed quietly!
Manager Richard Slade is concerned that a smoking ban
would be difficult to police with managers being left to enforce it.
SMOKING -
THE BIG DEBATE |
|
Pro
the ban:
Smoking bans can help to reduce tobacco consumption.
Second-hand smoke is a serious hazard for staff working in bars
and restaurants.
Smoking
is a greater cause of death and disability than any other single
disease (World Health Organisation).
Non
smokers should not have to get smelly and breathe in smoke.
Smoking bans are a key to reducing smoking and health problems.
Against
the ban:
Smoking
bans are an infringement of civil liberties.
A smoking
ban can have a detrimental effect on trade in bars and restaurants.
No smoking bars are no fun.
A smoking ban will kill the pub trade.
Bars
and restaurants have to police the 'no smoking' regulations, and
this can lead to friction with customers.
Smoking bans stigmatise smokers.
Why
jeopardise smokers and not drinkers - both are bad for your health.
|
Slade believes that better pub ventilation is the answer
to providing clean air and keeping smokers happy.
He's also concerned that irate smoking customers could
get aggressive with bar staff.
It's a fear borne out from experiences in New York where
a Manhattan bouncer was killed earlier this year when he tried to enforce
the tough new anti-smoking laws.
A Breath of Fresh Air?
More cities and regions in the UK are looking at the
idea of smoking bans with the aim of cutting down smoking- related diseases.
In August 2003 Pizza Hut became the first major UK restaurant
chain to ban smoking in all its eating places.
Its goal in snuffing out smoking was to protect its customers
and staff from the dangers of passive smoking.
On Tyneside there are already signs of diminishing tolerance
towards smoking in public places.
In 1998 Newcastle Playhouse became the first theatre
in the country to ban smoking in its foyer bar.
At first smokers complained vociferously - now they stand
in line smoking in the car park.
| Should smoking be banned in
bars and pubs? |
|
YES
66%
No
33%
The great Smoke
Vote does not claim to be a representative
sample of the population and is indicative only.
|
Cafe 21 and Blackfriars in Newcastle, and Sidneys in
Tynemouth are just some of the new breed of 'no smoking' restaurants.
Shopping malls are also increasingly introducing smoking
bans without an adverse effect on economic performance.
The Metro Centre in Gateshead is to ban smoking from January 2004.
It's a trend that many more malls, bars and restaurants
are set to follow.
But how will smokers react in a region renowned for its smoking and drinking
culture?
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