High cost of ban on tobacco display

High cost of ban on tobacco display

Government proposals to ban the open display of cigarettes in shops would lead to "considerable operational and equipment costs" according to the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS).

"We would expect the government to present a clear case that these measures were necessary before placing yet another significant burden on thousands of retailers across the country," said ACS chief executive James Lowman.

The proposal will be one of several suggested in the government's forthcoming policy consultation on tobacco regulation as part of its Cancer Reform Strategy. It would mean that tobacco products would be forced out of sight - probably under the counter. Lowman continued: "If the Department of Health brings forward new tobacco regulations, we will work constructively, but critically, to ensure that these meet their own principles of better regulation, in particular that the burdens that any measures imposed on business are proportionate and effectively targeted."

He also argued that the government had more pressing matters to address: "One-fifth of all tobacco smoked in the UK is supplied by the black market and the government has to do more to tackle those who sell illegal and counterfeit tobacco."

The Department of Health's consultation process is due to start in late May. Other options expected to be discussed include the ban of 10s packs of cigarettes, the ban of tobacco vending machines and the introduction of a retailer licensing scheme.
http://www.forecourttrader.co.uk

A government stealth warning

A government stealth warning
By Oliver Pritchett
What could possibly lead you to believe that we might sell cigarettes in this establishment? This is a carpet warehouse, as all may plainly see, and, as usual, only a few days remain before our sensational bargain sale must end. Yes, I am well aware that Dawn Primarolo, the Minister of State for Public Health, wants to ban the display of cigarettes in shops, but I cannot see how this would affect us here, as we are merely dedicated purveyors of superior shag pile.

So a friend sent you? And he suggested you might ask for a nice healthy orange, making those curious inverted comma signs with your fingers. I suppose I might be able to help you there. Would that be a low tar or a medium tar orange? Tipped or untipped? With the purple skin? And would you like it to come in 20 or 10 segments? There you are, sir, and here's a box of matches, in case you wish to set fire to your orange.

advertisementIs there anything else I can help you with today? We do have a nice selection of hearth rugs. A packet of ready-salted crisps? Good heavens! Does such an item even exist in this day and age? I believe it is still possible to buy a packet of salted nuts, but you have to be accompanied by a responsible person, such as a JP, a bank official, a member of the clergy or a GP, and you must have proof of age and proof of your address in the form of a bank statement or two recent utilities bills.

But ready-salted crisps? You've really stumped me there. Perhaps if you looked in that box over there, the one marked "Extremely Sensible Toothbrushes", you might see something to interest you. I'll be looking the other way, studying my pattern book and admiring our range of classic Axminsters. If you do happen to find something in the box to suit you, just leave the money next to the till. Any sum you feel is appropriate, bearing in mind the scarcity.

There's something else, is there? I'm sorry, sir, I can't make out what you are muttering. Whisper it to me. I get it - a white loaf. And there's something special about this white loaf. Rhymes with "enticed". Ooh, sir, that really is a tricky one. It's really hard to lay one's hands on an enticed white loaf these days. The wholemeal police are everywhere and they're cracking down.

What I can do for you, seeing that you're a good customer, is write a little note to a certain friend of mine. Take this note and go down the street, then turn left into the alley by the recycling bins and you should see a tall thin man with a short fat dog.

You say to this man, "I'm glad I'm not in Basingstoke on a day like this." If he replies, "I had an aunt who lived in Basingstoke and she said they had lovely sunsets," you know you've got the right chap. That's Cholesterol Bob. Give him this note and he may be able to accommodate you. And, by the way, Cholesterol Bob can put a nice bit of excessive wasteful packaging your way, if you feel you'd like some. A lot of my clients go to him for their excessive packaging needs.

Before you go, sir, there's something I'd like to mention. I can tell you are a man of the world and I thought you might be interested in a little intimate revue we put on in the back of the warehouse on Saturday nights. It's all very tasteful and artistic. What happens is we turn on a switch and there's this light with an old-style, short-life, high-energy 60-watt bulb.

Completely naked. And for any gentlemen who have a taste for something a little stronger, we also do a 100-watt bulb. Just thought I'd mention it. If you're interested, go to the back door on Saturday night, give two slow knocks and three quick ones and when they answer, just ask for Pearl.


Wait a minute. Act perfectly normally and don't look up. I just spotted Dawn Primarolo outside the window. Pretend you're looking at the book of carpet samples. Keep nodding, look interested.

You see this is quality carpet, sir. Lovely tufting work. The pattern is swirly and bold, so you'd need some really forceful curtaining to balance it and a flowery sofa cover would be completely lost.

OK, I think Dawn has gone now. She's been around a lot lately because there are reports of chocolate dealing going on quite openly in this street.

One more thing before you go, sir. I've got something that would suit a person of discernment such as your good self. It's very rare, a collector's item, in fact. There you are, sir - a photograph of a doughnut. Full colour and gloss finish. Very realistic, very detailed. Look at that icing sugar. As you are such a good customer, I can let you have it for £80, but you've got to promise not to show it to anyone under the age of 18.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Berkeley Expands Smoking Ban

Berkeley Expands Smoking Ban
BERKELEY, Calif. (KCBS) -- The Berkeley City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to expand an already-tough outdoor smoking ban to include all commercial zones.
The ban previously only included sidewalks along 16 major streets.

Mayor Tim Bates, himself a former smoker, said enforcement is complaint driven

"Certainly it's in peoples' best interest not to have a smoker around them. So we hope that we can convince people that it's the right thing to do," Bates explained.

Violators will be fined $100 for a first offense, and as much as $500 after multiple offenses.
http://www.kcbs.com/

Twisted logic on smoking ban

Twisted logic on smoking ban

Worried about the effect on small restaurants who can scarcely afford to lose business, the Norfolk City Council decided last week to rescind a smoking ban it approved in October.

Instead, the council members are considering a measure that would essentially sell smoking licenses to restaurants at $1,000 a pop.

"Half a loaf is better than nothing," said Councilman Don Williams, who came up with the idea.

It goes without saying that at $1,000, this may be the most expensive half loaf in history; it also goes without saying that charging restaurants to allow smoking may not help their bottom line.

So what's working here?

The impetus behind the strange gyrations in council chambers seems to be - mostly - a kind of fear that banning smoking in city restaurants would hurt business, would drive diners to other cities.

A few restaurant owners have fanned those worries, and more than a few members of City Council have been convinced. Here's the problem: There is no credible evidence that banning smoking hurts restaurants.

There is, in fact, study after study to show that restaurant business improves, or at least doesn't get worse, after a smoking ban, including in communities surrounded by places that permit smoking. Perhaps that's because the 80 percent of the nation that doesn't smoke is now free to have a drink or a meal without worrying about their health, or that their clothes will stink.

For a restaurant's workers, of course, the worries about smoking have always been more than cosmetic, academic, or financial.

"While the number of deaths caused by chronic exposure to secondhand smoke is substantially less than the number caused by active smoking, the public health concern is elevated because secondhand-smoke deaths are occurring among individuals who have decided not to smoke, and thus their increased risk for disease and death is involuntary," said a study published by the Society of Actuaries.

How many people die from second-hand smoke? The actuaries, in 2005, estimated the number at 50,000 a year, undoubtedly many of them workers in restaurants where second-hand smoke is especially heavy, and from which there is little opportunity for escape or respite during an eight-hour shift.

A $1,000 license to smoke will, in effect, ban cigarettes from restaurants that can't afford to pay the bill. For their workers, that's undoubtedly a healthy thing.

But it's awfully hard to argue, from City Hall, that workers in richer restaurants don't deserve the same protection. Or, if you're arguing from behind the bar, that $1,000 is enough to buy permission to allow customers to sicken your employees.
http://hamptonroads.com

NO-SMOKING PUBS, YOUR REACTION

NO-SMOKING PUBS, YOUR REACTION
Brodie Atkinson and Steffan Trafford sit under an awning in one of the Dragon pub's adobe-style beer garden seats, and enjoy a couple of roll-your-own cigarettes. "There's definitely specific bars I go to," Brodie said, comparing her pre- and post-smoking ban pub choices. "Places I used to go to, I don't."

Aunit Sandhu, who with a business partner runs the city centre pub, often sees the beer garden fill with smokers while the inside tables fill with people perusing the food menu. She sees nothing but positives after months of mandatory smoke-free pubs.

"Food sales have definitely gone up," she said. "The smoking ban is brilliant."


Of course, one publican's "brilliant" is another's "broken". Want to start an argument among pub landlords and managers? Start asking how pubs are faring since they went smoke-free in July.

Arwel Hughes, cellarman at the Lion pub in Basford, reckons his pub hasn't been hit as hard as other places because it also offers live music and a big selection of local ales.

But he doesn't see any improvement.

"There have been no [increased] food sales," he said. "I don't see hordes of non-smokers bashing the doors down saying 'I always wanted to come to the pub.' I see non-smokers standing around saying 'Why are all my friends standing outside?' Most people I speak to who think it's a good idea don't go to pubs."

Closer to the city centre, however, new customer trends may be emerging.

"We get a lot of office-types coming in now at lunchtime instead of going to a cafe, who want food in a smoke-free environment," said Sam Skinner-Watts, assistant manager at the Lincolnshire Poacher, which has a large beer garden behind its Mansfield Road premises. "All of our regulars that smoke still come in and drink the same, they just go outside to smoke."

Along the same stretch of Mansfield Road, the Golden Fleece recently made a new purchase - a high chair. "We're serving food a lot later now - people seem much happier about eating in pubs now, when before in the evenings all the regulars would be smoking," said landlord James Busby, who also spent £25,000 refurbishing the pub's roof terrace. "There's more kids and more families as it's a more friendly environment."

At the Frog and Onion in Forest Fields, landlord Paul Kennedy's not sure about the commitment of some of the supposed new customers, or of the social implications of going smoke-free.

"The first week the ban came in we had half a dozen non-smokers come in and say how nice it was, order half a pint and leave. Now all the smokers are outside, and so are the non-smokers because they don't want to be on their own. The entrances are the busiest bits of pubs nowadays."

That's not a negative for all, though. The doorway smokers' huddle might just be the new singles' bar. "It's a good way to socialise," Brodie Atkinson said. "'Smirting' - where everyone goes out for a smoke and flirts."
http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk

No Dutch smoking...except for cannabis

No Dutch smoking...except for cannabis
Cannabis will be exempt from a Dutch smoking ban that comes into force in two months.

Restrictions on smokers in cafes and restaurants will not apply as long as cannabis is consumed neat, without tobacco. The exemption follows fears that many of Amsterdam's lucrative "coffee shops" would be forced to close if soft drug users had to smoke elsewhere.

Liberal Dutch policies, introduced in 1972, on the sale and use of cannabis have generated a trade valued at more than £3 billion a year.
advertisement

The coffee shops, which draw millions of tourists each year, allow users to buy cannabis over the counter and smoke it without fear of arrest.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk

The war on smoking

The war on smoking
IT IS cruel that a country with such dreadful weather should forbid smoking indoors. But since July, when lighting up in enclosed public places was banned, British smokers have had to huddle in the rain. Other measures, including banning advertising and raising the minimum smoking age (to 18) and the tax on cigarettes (which now quadruples the price of a packet), have made Britain more hostile to tobacco than any other country in Europe, according to the European Network for Smoking Prevention, a coalition of stubbers-out.

Despite such strictness, some 22% of British adults smoke daily—low by world standards, but higher than in many rich countries, including America, Canada and Australia. So the rules are to get tougher still. On March 24th the Department of Health suggested that cigarette vending machines, a favourite source of tobacco for the under-age, could be banned. And shops might have to sell cigarettes under the counter, to keep them out of sight and mind—and, possibly, to add a little shame to buying them.

Will it help? Only Iceland, Thailand and some parts of Canada ban shop displays (Ireland will soon follow suit), so there is little evidence. One Australian study suggested that quitters could hold out for longer if they didn't see the forbidden packets every time they went shopping. Neil Rafferty of Forest, a pro-smoking lobby, wonders if hiding the variety of brands might make it harder for smokers to switch to milder options. As for vending machines, why not make them credit-card operated, if the aim is to deter under-18s? “It has nothing to do with protecting children and everything to do with making smokers feel bad about themselves,” Mr Rafferty suspects.

They will soon feel even worse. From October, cigarette packets will carry gruesome pictures of tarred lungs as well as the current warnings. A ban on smoking while driving has been suggested. In February an advisory panel recommended that smokers should have to buy a permit before lighting up, though that seems unlikely to go ahead.

Demand has taken a pummelling; supply is next. A bill before Parliament will toughen sanctions for selling to minors; Amanda Sandford of ASH, an anti-smoking lobby group, would like to see sales restricted to licensed tobacconists, as in much of Europe. Supplies brought back from holiday could be cut too, she says: currently tourists can import as much as they like from some countries, as long as they can convince customs officers they are for personal use.

A bigger problem, Ms Sandford reckons, is smuggling. Britain's high taxes create a large black market: up to 18% of British cigarettes may be contraband, cheating the tax man of some £2.3 billion per year. Customs officers are cracking down and have promised better results still—after all, new laws will change little if old ones are easily circumvented.
http://www.economist.com

CITY PUB CLOSES AFTER SMOKING BAN HITS TRADE

CITY PUB CLOSES AFTER SMOKING BAN HITS TRADE
A city centre nightspot has closed its doors.

Yates's Wine Bar, in Brockley Square, Hanley, closed at the weekend after its parent company was hit by the combined effect of the smoking ban and the credit crunch.

Laurel Pub Company, which also owns the Hogshead, Litten Tree, Slug and Lettuce and La Tasca brands, has closed about 60 sites across the country.

As well as the Hanley Yates's the Hogshead, in Earl Street, Stafford, has also been shut. Laurel owns about 370 sites nationwide.

Stuart Cunningham, who manages Yates's on Ironmarket, in Newcastle, said: "We're okay but the branch in Hanley closed on Sunday."

A spokesman for Laurel Pub Company confirmed that the Newcastle branch will remain open, along with the Litten Tree in Riverside, Stafford.

But she could not confirm how many staff will be affected by the closures in Hanley and Stafford.

She added: "In some cases there will be redundancies, but we are trying to relocate staff wherever possible."

It was reported last week that Laurel owner Robert Tchenguiz was poised to place the company into the hands of administrators after struggling to agree a refinancing deal. The spokesman said negotiations for the deal are continuing.

Meanwhile Trinity Street nightclub JFK remains open despite trading company Deco Entertainment going into voluntary liquidation.

JFK opened in 2003 in the former headquarters of The Sentinel, after a £500,000 refit. Menzies Corporate Restructuring, based in Manchester, has been appointed to begin the process of winding Deco Entertainment Ltd up.

Bar manager Anthony Heeley said: "We're open for business as usual." Richard Day, chairman of the City Centre Chamber of Trade, pictured left, said he was disappointed to hear about the closure of Yates's.

He said: "This is quite a blow because Yates's has always been a good pub, and I think having a branch in Hanley is good for the city. It just shows how the economy is going at the moment. It's a real pity and a big blow to the Stafford Street area, where Yates's was.

"It's difficult to predict how long the site will be vacant. Certainly if it was to go on the market I would hope that it would be snapped up very quickly."

He added: "The smoking ban has been welcomed by non-smokers like me, but it has caused problems in the marketplace that the Government hasn't thought through."

http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk

Smoke-free brewery's profits take a hit

Smoke-free brewery's profits take a hit
by Liza Murley

The smoking ban and wet summer have taken their toll on Kent’s leading brewery.

Interim financial results for Shepherd Neame, announced on Wednesday, showed profits were down 2.3 per cent, before tax, to £4.7 million for the last six months of 2007,

The Faversham-based company described the period as “extremely challenging”, and held no hopes of the situation getting any easier in the coming months.

Chief executive Jonathan Neame said: “Shepherd Neame has delivered a solid and resilient performance over the past six months against a challenging background of subdued consumer spending, significant pressure on input costs, impact from the smoking ban and a wet summer during 2007.

“We believe the current difficult trading conditions will persist throughout 2008 but we are investing in the business for the long term and are confident that the quality and profile of our pubs and brands will enable the company to continue to outperform the market.”

There was some good news for the firm, however, with turnover up 3.7 per cent to £52.4 million, and operating profit rose 0.7 per cent to £5.7 million. Food sales were also up by 7.3 per cent and total accommodation sales improved by 11.2 per cent.
http://www.kent-online.co.uk

Pub landlord fined again for flouting smoking ban

Pub landlord fined again for flouting smoking ban

Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Local Government

A pub landlord was fined £1,950 and ordered to pay £2,000 prosecution costs today after being found guilty of allowing customers to smoke on his premises.

Hamish Howitt, 55, of Blackpool, Lancashire, became the first publican in England to be convicted for breaching the smoking ban legislation last November.

He appeared in court again today after receiving further summonses from his local council for continuing to flout the ban.

Owners and managers of pubs, clubs and cafes are legally bound to enforce the ban which came into effect on July 1 last year and face fines of up to £2,500 if they fail to do so.

Preston Magistrates' Court was told that officers from Blackpool Council visited his Del Boy Sports Bar in Rigby Road on five separate occasions last November - the first time just two days after he was fined £500 for letting his regulars light up.

Each time the bar was thick with smoke and customers were spotted smoking in full view of staff who did nothing to stop them, the court heard.

A chalkboard outside the premises read: "Our political conscience will not allow to put smokers and non-smokers on the street. It's our choice."

Representing himself, Howitt, who denied the charges, said: "It is an oppressive law. It is affecting my business. I am on the verge of bankruptcy.

"The Health Act 2006 is not proportionate. Smokers should be given a life as well as non-smokers.

"I'm having to push blind people and those in wheelchairs out into the street. It is not a trivial thing. It is an infringement of people's civil liberties."

He added the law breached the Human Rights Act 1998, in particular Article 4 of the European Convention of Human Rights.

"I am a slave of the state. The state is there to serve the individual, not made to serve the state," he said.

"Human rights seems to serve people like criminals and actually work against normal people. What has happened to choice?"

Mr Howitt argued he should be exempt from the law because his premises were not public as he ultimately decided who was allowed in and he said there was no proof smoking itself killed.

District Judge Michael Singleton disagreed and convicted him of five counts of failing to enforce the ban.

He said: "The defendant asserts that the Health Act 2006 and its enforcement are in breach of the Human Rights Act 1998.

"In my view it is not in breach of that act or any articles under the European Convention of Human Rights.

"He has asserted the premises are not open to the public but I am satisfied they are.

"I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt and find all these matters proved."

He told Howitt he was fully entitled to appeal the decision at a crown court or to seek a judicial review at the High Court.

Howitt was fined £250 for each of the five counts of flouting the ban and £100 each for breaching seven separate conditional discharges imposed at the last hearing in November.

He was also ordered to pay £2,000 prosecution costs and a £15 victim surcharge to the court.

Mr Singleton warned him he could go to prison if he did not pay the monies owed within 28 days.

Outside court, Howitt confirmed he was preparing to take the case to the High Court to seek a judicial review.

Howitt has been a staunch critic of the ban and has even set up a political party named Fight Against Government Suppression (Fags).

He has since renamed his pub, The Freed Inn 2 Choose.

Howitt said his fines and costs were partly being met by the nationwide Freedom To Choose campaign which was set up to fight the ban through the courts.
http://www.24dash.com

British way of life goes up in smoke

British way of life goes up in smoke
I note yet another article in the Express & Star regarding “difficult trading conditions” for a pub chain as a result of the smoking ban.

I don’t think anyone is surprised at the inevitability of it all, because for many an ordinary person “a drink and a smoke” at the local was the highlight of the week. Those people simply do not go to the pub any more when it’s cold and wet, and their custom has not been taken up by all those who said they would not frequent their local because “they came home stinking of smoke”.

I suspect they were not regular pub goers anyway, but it sounded righteous and correct at the time the non-smoking legislation was going through Parliament.

It seems incredible to me that one well-ventilated room in a pub could not have been set aside for smokers, provided the landlord wished to offer this facility.

I know the main arguments for banning smoking – health issues, second-hand smoke, staff rights etc – but I believe with some thought these problems could have been solved.

Smoking in restaurants or any eating establishment should have been banned many years ago and everyone agrees that non-smokers have a right to a smoke-free environment.

But a “pint and a smoke” pub is a different kettle of fish and should have been recognised as such.

I think, as a nation, we are becoming less tolerant of each other and the spiteful bit of legislation banning smoking in all pubs is simply part of the politician’s desire to satisfy at least 51 per cent of the population, so they are keen to be seen to support a populist bandwagon.

To me it is all a bit academic because I don’t smoke and rarely visit pubs nowadays, but I am saddened to see another bit of the traditional British way of life slowly go up in smoke.

C A Andrew
http://www.expressandstar.com

Should there be a ban on tobacco displays?

Should there be a ban on tobacco displays?
By Jane Lavender

NEWSAGENTS have hit out at Government plans to ban shopkeepers from displaying cigarettes.

In a bid to cut the number of smokers and prevent children from taking up the habit, ministers have drawn up proposals that include a ban on displaying tobacco products.

But newsagents in Bolton claim the proposals are a step too far, saying they will seriously harm their businesses.

Gulam Amanji, who owns Tonge Newsagents in Tonge Moor Road, said: "They have banned all advertising of these products, isn't that enough?

Reader Poll
Should there be a ban on tobacco displays?
Yes
29.5%
No
70.5%

"I'm totally against these plans. It will really affect sales. There are already enough restrictions around smoking."

Ahmed Patel, owner of S and A Newsagents in Chorley Old Road, plans to write to his MP to protest about the plans.

He said: "The Government is going too far with this. If we don't display cigarettes then we won't sell them."

It is expected a consultation will be launched into the plans and that the legislation could be introduced as early as this autumn, depending on the response to the suggestions.

Public health minister Dawn Primarolo said: "It's vital we get across the message to children that smoking is bad. If that means stripping out vending machines or removing cigarettes from behind the counter, I'm willing to do that.

"Children who smoke are putting their lives at risk and are more likely to die of cancer than people who start smoking later."

Statistics show that a child takes up smoking every hour in Greater Manchester.

Chancellor Alistair Darling increased the duty on tobacco in this year's Budget, adding 11p to the price of a packet of 20 cigarettes and 4p to the price of four cigars.
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk

Norfolk council expected to nullify smoking ban

Norfolk council expected to nullify smoking ban
The City Council seems virtually certain today to rescind a smoking ban in restaurants that was set to go into effect March 31.

That ban, which passed 7-1 in October, would have been the state's first.

It also appears doubtful that members will embrace a watered-down substitute ordinance sent to them over the weekend. Drafted by City Attorney Bernard A. Pishko, the ordinance is based on council input during last week's debate about the issue.

It includes exemptions for restaurants with 50 seats or fewer and for those that can prove a ban has hurt business.

Councilman Don Williams also proposed last week an exemption that would ban smoking in all restaurants but allow restaurant owners to apply to permit smoking as long as they post warning signs on their doors.

The city might as well not have a ban, Councilman Barclay C. Winn said at the time.

Yet today, when the council meets, Williams' proposal appears to have the best chance of passing.

"The more I think about it, the more I like it," said Vice Mayor Anthony L. Burfoot, considered a key swing vote. Councilman W. Randy Wright and even Winn voiced tentative support for William's proposal on Monday.

Burfoot said he will vote against the ordinance drafted by Pishko. A hardship exemption allowing restaurants that show that a ban has harmed their business isn't strong enough, he said.

"I have a hard time telling a business owner how they're going to feed their families and make their mortgage payment," he said. "I don't smoke. I hate it. But I also understand I have the right to not go into an establishment that allows smoking."

The council will meet at 4 p.m. at City Hall to discuss the issue. It will vote during its formal session at 7 p.m.

Councilwoman Theresa Whibley, who first championed the citywide ban, said she doesn't know how the ban will fare tonight. She and Mayor Paul Fraim are the only council members who said they favor the substitute ordinance.

Councilman Paul R. Riddick, who has opposed all efforts to ban smoking, did not return phone calls. Councilwoman Daun S. Hester was out of town.

Wright said he also is concerned that other private businesses, including commercial bingo halls, would be included in the ban. The ban would not include bingo games run at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus or other churches or charities.

Stuart Engel, who runs the MidCity Bingo Hall near Southern Shopping Center, said the prohibition would hurt his business.

"There's no question people would go to Virginia Beach rather than Norfolk," he said. "The loss of revenue would be astronomical."

Whibley has said the opposite is true: that smoke-free restaurants will gain business from patrons seeking to avoid tobacco smoke.
http://hamptonroads.com

Fury at cigarette vending machine ban plan

Fury at cigarette vending machine ban plan
By Jo Winrow

Licensee of Bradford's Shoulder of Mutton pub Paul Corke with his cigarette vending machine
Government plans to remove cigarette vending machines from pubs have come under fire from Bradford licensees.

The move would also see a ban on tobacco products being displayed at cornershops and supermarkets in an attempt to limit children's access to cigarettes.

But the proposals have prompted fears it will simply force the products beneath the counter. And pubs in the district have hit back, saying children should not be in their establishments in the first place.

David Haigh, honorary president of the Bradford Inner City Licensees' Association, told the Telegraph & Argus: "It's just another indication of the nanny state we live in. Children shouldn't even be in pubs in the first place. They'll be making smoking illegal next, but the only reason they don't is because of the money they claw in from it."

"I don't suppose it will affect trade that much, as there should be nothing stopping pubs selling cigarettes from under the bar," said Mr Haigh, who runs Haigy's in Lumb Lane, Manningham. "I would like to know how many children actually buy cigarettes in pubs."

Paul Corke, the licensee of the Shoulder of Mutton, Kirkgate, said: "I think its absolutely diabolical. Our cigarette machine is right in front of the bar and if anyone underage was trying to use it we would have something to say about it.


"Are they going to stop us advertising what beer we sell next?"

The Department of Health has drawn up the proposals in a bid to prevent children from taking up the habit. Measures which make it easier to sell nicotine replacement gums and patches will also be on the table.

The proposals follow the introduction of the ban on smoking in public places last July, while the the minimum age of sale was increased from 16 to 18 last October. And, from this October, new explicit picture warnings must be printed on tobacco products in addition to the written cautions.

Ministers believe someone who starts smoking at 15 is three times more likely to die of cancer due to smoking than someone who starts in their late twenties.

Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo said: "Children who smoke are putting their lives at risk and are more likely to die of cancer than people who start smoking later.

"It's vital we get across the message to children that smoking is bad. If that means stripping out vending machines or removing cigarettes from behind the counter, I'm willing to do that."

According to the latest figures the proportion of adults who now smoke has dropped by two per cent to 22 per cent. Around 165,000 smokers quit between April and September last year - an increase of 28 per cent compared with the same period the previous year.

The Government has set a target of reducing the proportion of smokers in England to 21 per cent by 2010.
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk

Historic pub set to close

Historic pub set to close

A POPULAR town centre pub is set to close down with bosses blaming a drop in trade on the impact of the smoking ban.

Yates's, in Parker Street, could close as early as Bank Holiday Monday after staff were only told of their fate in the past two weeks.

The closure comes after Laurel Pub Company announced that it would be closing 60 of the 65 pubs it had put on the market following poor trading since the smoking ban began in July last year.

The London-based firm operates over 370 town centre pubs nationwide. Earlier this year 95 pubs from the Yates's, Litten Tree and Hogshead brands went up for sale, of which 30 had already been closed prior to this latest announcement.

A spokesman for the company said there had not been "sufficient interest" in the 60 pubs located across the country to warrant their continued trading.

Yates's in Burnley fell into this category.

But the other Laurel-owned pub in East Lancs, Big Window in Manchester Road, Burnley, has not been affected and will trade as normal.

James Dillon, assistant manager of Yates's in Burnley, said he could not talk about the closure.

But a spokesman for the Laurel Pub Company said: "The impact of the smoking ban has been felt hard in Laurel pubs up and down the country. There has been a difficulty of trading conditions and the credit crunch has made these pubs untenable to run at a profit."

She said that efforts will be made to avoid job losses. She added: "We will be relocating staff to other Laurel premises where possible."

Yates's in Burnley is a Grade II listed building which is about 200 years old and used to be called the Boot Inn'. An old boot set in stone is still located outside the pub.

Tony Payne, chief executive of the Federation of Licensed Victuallers Association, said: "It highlights the difficulties in the trade at the moment.

"But it shows that one of the great weaknesses the trade has is that we're not selling ourselves and the great benefits of coming to the pub to the public.

"Where else can you eat good quality meals at low prices and meet colleagues for a conversation in relaxed surroundings? We have lost all the village halls and public spaces that we had at one time.

"The British pub will only be missed when it's gone."

The Laurel Pub Company operates a range of high street chain pubs including La Tasca, La Vina, Litten Tree, The Slug and Lettuce as well as Yates's.

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk

Smoking foster carers banned

Smoking foster carers banned
By Richard Marsden
FOSTER carers who smoke have been banned from looking after children under five or disabled youngsters in Sheffield.
The decision has been made following consultation between council officials and medical advisors – and other South Yorkshire councils are to follow suit.

Authorities across the country are concerned about the potential health impact of passive smoking on children.

There are also fears about future legal action, in case children who develop respiratory diseases as adults later sue a council for placing them in a smoky environment.

What do you think about the ban on foster carers who smoke? Add your comment below.

Paul Makin, Sheffield Council's acting executive director of children and young people's services, said: "Our first priority is to keep children safe.

"The most recent and authoritative advice from British Association for Adoption and Fostering is that children under the age of five and disabled children shouldn't be placed with foster carers who smoke.

"This has been confirmed by our medical advisors.

"Therefore, we are not considering foster carer applications for this age group from smokers or those who have given up smoking within the last year."

Under proposed new rules being considered by Rotherham Council children under five would not be placed with families who smoke.

Older children would be offered a choice of whether they want to be looked after by a smoking or non-smoking carer.

And Barnsley Council is considering similar proposals.

A report to Rotherham Council states: "Discussions with foster carers of children who continue to smoke have indicated a very responsible approach to the issue – they smoke outside the house and attempt at all times not to smoke in front of the children, so avoiding negative role models.

"We could, by placing children in environments where they may be subject to adverse long-term effects on their health as a result of smoking, be making ourselves liable to legal challenge if the health of former looked-after children and young people becomes compromised as a result of placements when in care."

Carers are to be warned they should never buy cigarettes, even for older children, and cigarettes should never be used as a reward for good behaviour.

Young people and children in council care who smoke would be offered advice to kick the habit.
http://www.thestar.co.uk/

Czech Smoking ban back on the table

Czech Smoking ban back on the table
President has said such a law would hurt individual freedoms
Politicians are again discussing a smoking ban for restaurants and bars, Mladá fronta Dnes reported.

Secondhand smoke kills an estimated 1,500 non-smokers every year in the Czech Republic, according to statistics. In addition, the number of teenage smokers continues to rise.

President Václav Klaus has said he opposes a smoking ban because it hurts individual freedoms.

But a number of establishments in Prague say business continues to be good after they voluntarily went smoke-free. Kolíbka café and teahouse in New Town said moms with children became customers following the ban. Monarch wine bar said banning cigarettes was a practical decision since smoking affects one’s palate.

At least three similar anti-smoking bills have been debated before being voted down in recent years.
http://www.praguepost.com

No smoking. But blood is fine

No smoking. But blood is fine
What is Liverpool council thinking restricting film of people smoking to an 18 certicate?
Melanie McDonagh

That bishop at the Vatican who issued a list of seven mortal sins for our times missed a trick didn't he? The list didn't include smoking.

And in today's confused moral climate, smoking is one of the few secular vices about which there is a general consensus that it ought to be discouraged. Liverpool council is the latest public body to get itself worked up about smoking. It backs the suggestion from an organisation called SmokeFree Liverpool that all movies with cigarette scenes should be given an 18 certificate.

In fact, one enthusiast on the city council said that Liverpool could act alone to restrict access to smoking films. You can just see it - deviant teenagers getting lifts out of town to watch screenings of Casablanca.

Remember that charming film, Cinema Paradiso, in which the priest in a little Italian village appointed himself film censor, and lifted up a placard for a cut whenever the on-screen kissing got out of hand? Today's equivalent would be some councillor sitting through movies from Vertigo to The Black Dahlia, weeding out all the clips in which smoking is suggestive of glamour.
Background

It's been done, of course: a study by the University of California in 2004 suggested that that between 1950 and 2002 there were about 11 smoking incidents in every hour of film. Just as tobacco came this way from America, so the anti-fag puritanism started there too. Last year the Motion Picture Association of America announced that smoking would be taken into account when classifying movies. The Disney Corporation, never slow to board a bandwagon, declared that smoking in future family films would in future be “non-existent”.

I don't smoke myself. But what what strikes me as self-evidently weird about this contemporary take on Prohibition is how disproportionate the moral outrage is to the offence. It's as if, in the absence of any consensus of what constitutes real sin, we get correspondingly more agitated about those vices we can agree on.

And look at what we're not getting worked up about. The anti-smoking lobby was jubilant when smoking scenes were cut from the last Bond film, Casino Royale. But as Daniel Craig tersely pointed out: “I can blow someone's head off but I can't light a good cigar.” It's fine for 12-year-olds to be shown someone being beaten to a pulp, but you can't let them see someone enjoying a cigarette.

Then there was the perplexing occasion when anti-smoking campaigners tried to get the BBC to apologise for an episode of Top Gear in which Jeremy Clarkson lit a pipe. So, celebrating fast cars is OK - although excess speed is a factor in about a quarter of road fatalities - but a pipe is pernicious? Say what you will about the old censors, they weren't that stupid.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk

Babbitt bar gets first smoking ban ticket for hosting 'theater night'

Babbitt bar gets first smoking ban ticket for hosting 'theater night'
A bar owner in Babbitt who was cited for hosting a "theater night" to get around the statewide smoking ban says he'll fight the citation in court.

Tom Marinaro proudly framed his citation -- which his attorney says is the first one issued in connection with "theater night" -- and hung it on the wall at Tank's Bar.

Babbitt police gave Marinaro the $300 petty misdemeanor ticket on Friday. A patron who was smoking in the bar was also given a ticket.

Tank's Bar, like other bars in the state, has hosted "theater night" to get around a law that bans smoking in workplaces, including taverns and restaurants. A loophole in the law allows actors and actresses to smoke as part of a theatrical production, so several bar owners have hosted performances so patrons can smoke indoors.

Marinaro's attorney, Mark Benjamin, said he'll argue that the theatrical production clause in the law is unconstitutionally vague.

Marinaro, who has owned Tank's for five years, said the smoking ban cut his business by 30 percent. Business has improved since Tank's Bar began holding performances of "Gunsmoke Monologues" starting at 3 p.m. every day.

"It's not all the way, but it's definitely up," he said.

The Minnesota Department of Health addressed the issue of theater nights on March 5, saying bars hosting such nights are violating the spirit of the smoking ban.
http://www.kare11.com

New Realities Sweeping Ould Country

New Realities Sweeping Ould Country

By BRIAN PALM
The old country has changed. Ireland's recent economic prosperity has been at least partially responsible for bringing about a number of radical changes to the culture and lifestyle of this small but influential island, where I have lived since arriving from Connecticut in 1977.

Most Irish agree that the country's rapid development has been beneficial. But Ireland's newfound affluence has not arrived without a few repercussions. As has been the case throughout Irish history, some have had to sacrifice. One of the first concessions to 21st-century European living was the recent introduction to Ireland of the smoking ban in public places, which, to the absolute horror of many, included the pubs.

Despite the uproar and outcry, amid shouts of "It'll never happen!" smoking in public bars and clubs was indeed banned. While this was eventually viewed to be a good thing, it has had the effect of all but destroying Ireland's famed pub culture, where conversation was an art form and debate a command performance.

Now pub dwellers shuffle in and out of doors en route to or from a smoke; the thread of many stories being lost and gone amid the interruptions. The excited electricity generated by groups of revelers captivated by their own humor has nearly become a thing of the past. Musicians such as myself struggle to create an atmosphere from the stage while their audience constantly ebbs and flows, lost to the quest for tobacco.

Worst hit by the smoking ban were the small family-run pubs in isolated parts of the countryside, where a great number of the local clientele were prone to enjoying a smoke with their pint.

After one or two winters standing outside the pub with the rain running down the back of their necks, and an increased Garda (police) presence on the roads at closing time, countless customers decided to stay home at night by the fire, watching TV instead. This trend has killed off numerous small country pubs, which in Ireland were always among the best, and permanently altered the social nature of many rural communities.

Going too are a great many of the picturesque "twisty little lanes" that took countless rent-a-car fenders over the years. When overwhelmed with ever-increasing amounts of traffic, these roads began to claim more and more lives. Massive road improvement schemes, aided by Euro development funds, have bypassed many towns known to be notorious traffic bottlenecks and cut travel times dramatically.

In some parts of the country, the west in particular, it is still common to find the road blocked by sheep or cattle, but this is changing. The sight of the archetypal tweed-capped "auld fella" with donkey and cart at the side of the road is fast disappearing.

Fortunately, the vast majority of Ireland's scenic beauty has survived the "Celtic Tiger" economy relatively intact, with the rugged, dramatic coastlines retaining all of their powerful, terrible beauty. The majestic mountains, clear lakes and ancient ruins, all synonymous with Ireland, remain as spectacularly beautiful and deeply moving to the human soul as ever.

However, the appreciation of their beauty is tempered somewhat by the knowledge that every field, each tumbled-down cottage, every rustic shed and scrap of boggy land in the country has become worth millions overnight. Landowners in even the remotest places refer to the value of their property in terms of "before and after the gold rush."

The nation's preoccupation with the property boom has led to the advent of a particularly gloating, self-satisfied breed of homeowner (who bought before everything went through the roof), contrasted by a very large section of the public suffering from "renter anxiety," having missed the boat. It is purely the ownership of property that now divides the haves from the have-nots. In desperation, large numbers of young people have taken out unrealistic mortgages and have found themselves with heavy debts.

Look at our fair capital city. Despite its new problems of traffic congestion and rising crime, Dublin is more popular than ever and is bustling with activity and opportunity. In this city, until recently considered something of a backwater, where countless 19th-century Georgian homes were thoughtlessly razed, rents are now so exorbitant that many young people never even consider moving out of their parents' houses. Every homeowner is a potential millionaire, and many have sold and moved to luxury homes in Spain, Italy or France. Able to outbid young couples trying to get started, developers and speculators snap up available houses, turning them into high-rent accommodations, and the spiral continues.

Government-sponsored affordable housing schemes exist, but with long waiting lists. Add to this a burgeoning Irish population comprising workers from across the globe and refugees from Africa, China, the Balkans and eastern Europe, and the strain on people to find a decent place to live becomes enormous.

Ireland has embraced its newfound cultural diversity admirably, however, and has succeeded in absorbing its new ethnic makeup with remarkable ease, grace and generosity of spirit. A vast new array of restaurants, supermarkets, shops and products cater to a wider array of tastes than ever before. Dublin now has its own Chinatown, Little Italy and Little Africa neighborhoods.

This has been a trait in Irish culture for centuries; Vikings, Normans, Gaels and Spaniards all settled and married in Ireland and were assimilated into Irish society. Indeed the Celts themselves were originally "blow-ins," learning to coexist with the indigenous ancient Irish.

It is ironic that a country famous for its own emigration should now be the destination of choice for the world's contemporary "huddled masses." Despite the challenges facing Ireland, people here are intensely proud of the great strides their country has made, and are confident in their ability to finally shape their own future.
http://www.courant.com

Will the 'boozers are losers' Budget finally kill a great British institution?

Will the 'boozers are losers' Budget finally kill a great British institution?

The death knell for the traditional British pub tolled over Westminster this week.

It sounded out in the monotone of Chancellor Alistair Darling: "From midnight on Sunday, alcohol duty rates will increase by six per cent above the rate of inflation.

"Beer will rise by 4p a pint, cider by 3p a litre, wine by 14p a bottle and spirits by 55p a bottle."

The doctors, who warn of our alcohol problems while applying for extended licensing hours at the bar of the British Medical Association's HQ, cheered.
Advertisement
Click here to find out more!

But landlords in what my grandfather proudly called the "the wet trade" when he ran The Hare And Hounds in Stoke Newington, North London, felt like weeping. The "boozers are losers" Budget will be the final straw for many of them in the battle to stay in business.

Already the latest figures show pubs have been closing at the rate of 27 a week - nearly four every day - for the past year.

A total of 1,409 pubs closed in 2007 nationwide. This is a sharp rise on previous years. In 2006, 216 closed and in 2005 it was just 102.

Mark Hastings, of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: "Pub closures are threatening an important hub of our social fabric and community history. And the Budget will only accelerate this.

"This is the stark reality of the pub trade today. It stands in contrast to the hype surrounding the myth of '24-hour drinking' and extended pub opening hours."

The tax increases come on top of problems already facing locals. The price of a pint has already gone up by 25p this year due to hops and malt price rises. The smoking ban has forced many regulars out into the cold.

And brutal supermarket costcutting has proved devastating.

Why should a smoker pay £2.85 for a pint of lager to stand in the street at his local when he could enjoy his fag and a supermarket's 22p can at home?

The tax increases will also do little to curb binge drinking. Instead of people enjoying a pint in licensed premises overseen by a publican, they will buy cheap booze in supermarkets.

There is a financial incentive to drink in the street, to go on booze cruises or "pre-fuel" on cheap vodka before going out.

And a Britain without pubs will be hard to reverse. A Campaign for Real Ale survey found 31 per cent of pubs closed down are being demolished.

Another 36 per cent are converted to shops or restaurants, while 33 per cent become homes. Some survive as "gastropubs" - little more than theme bars of what a pub was like in Olde England. But there will be fewer places where communities can meet.

Locals have always been places where friends can chat.

For lonely people they are a lifeline. Prince Charles saluted the local when he launched the "Pub is the Hub" campaign.

But yesterday there were signs of a fightback. John Ellis of the Crown Inn, in Oakengates, Shropshire, told the trade's Morning Advertiser newspaper that people had had enough.

He said: "Every facet of the trade needs to fight or this is the beginning of the end for the British pub."

There was talk of a "strike" with every pub across the land closing for 48 hours to show punters what they would miss.

But what we need now is for publicans, brewers and even politicians to find a rescue package.

Or it really will be last orders.

It's the last straw

Norman Pearce, 61, is landlord of the Sun Inn, Corfton, near Ludlow, Shropshire. He says...

"I've been running the pub for 22 years and I've seen customer numbers steadily decline.

We're a rural pub and have had to diversify to survive. I've opened a micro-brewery and we make four types of real ale. But others will have to think about becoming the village shop if the trade at the bar dries up.

Part of the problem is supermarkets. People can buy cheap beer there and drink it at home. But the same cheap alcohol is causing all kinds of binge drinking.

But I've never seen anyone on the rampage after a few pints of real ale. If someone knocks your pint over here they apologise, not start a fight.

Youngsters may think a traditional pub is full of depressed old men. But nothing's further from the truth. It's very sociable. We're always striking up conversations and having a laugh.

I remember when people said they'd stop drinking if beer went up to 50p a pint. But I was still amazed when the Chancellor put 4p on a pint - it's the last thing we need."

Adapt to survive

Danny Fox is boss of The Living Room Group. He says...

"We own 13 bars across the country and are set to open another four this year. We make sure our bars are places people want to be.

They're cool, trendy and full of people who want to be seen and have a good time.

Our customers are generally younger and more glamorous.

We reflect how people live today, with comfortable and contemporary decor. It's like being in your own home, or how you'd like your home to be.

There's great music, which we lower at lunchtime when people might be having a meal and a conversation and raise the volume in the evening.

And as our customers travel the world we reflect this with an extensive cocktail list and a large range of continental beers.

Before the smoking ban came in to place people shifted to bars because the smell of tobacco didn't linger.

After the ban we installed outdoor areas and customers accepted it, as smoking hadn't been allowed for some time in the restaurant area."

Who will pay £2.85 for a pub pint when they can have a beer at home for only 22p?
http://www.mirror.co.uk/

Smoking ban looks dead for this year

Smoking ban looks dead for this year

By Scott Bauer
The Associated Press

MADISON -- Barring a last-minute breakthrough, a proposal for a statewide smoking ban is about to be snuffed out in the Legislature.

The Assembly planned to finish its work for the year on Wednesday and the smoking ban was not up for a vote. The Senate has likewise not taken a vote on the ban, which must pass both chambers and be signed by the governor before it becomes law. The Senate finishes its work today.

Supporters vowed to try again next year.

"We're not giving up," said Rep. Steve Wieckert, R-Appleton. "We're in for the long haul."

Gov. Jim Doyle has advocated for the ban for months, but it met with staunch opposition from the powerful Tavern League lobby. It opposed having the ban start in bars at the same time as in restaurants and other work places.

Doyle spokeswoman Jessica Erickson said the governor would be disappointed if the ban didn't pass.

"He is determined to get this done in the near future because it is so important for the health of the people of Wisconsin," Erickson said.

Maureen Busalacchi, executive director of Smoke Free Wisconsin, said she wasn't giving up hope for a breakthrough before the session officially ended.

"Until they all go home, we're not going to take the pressure off," she said.

Busalacchi, along with the American Cancer Society and others, attempted for months to broker a compromise with opponents.

The Tavern League suggested having the ban to start in January for all businesses but bars, where it would start on July 1, 2011. Supporters, including Doyle, balked and argued that the ban should start everywhere at the same time.

Wieckert blamed the Tavern League for killing the measure that he said had broad public support.

"One special interest group can do in the will of the state," Wieckert said. "That's sad. But I'm a firm believer in democracy. In the end, we will win."

Pete Madland, the Tavern League's chief executive officer, said his group's position was supported by many people across the state.

"I think legislators understand this is not just about employee health," he said. "This is about people's jobs, people's businesses, people's livelihood, and it's not to be taken too lightly."

Doyle has argued that Wisconsin needs a ban because neighboring Illinois and Minnesota recently enacted one.

Twenty-three states have banned smoking in bars and restaurants, according to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. Four more states prohibit smoking in restaurants but exempt stand-alone bars.
http://www.wausaudailyherald.com

Bars, Restaurants Dropped From Iowa Smoking Ban

Bars, Restaurants Dropped From Iowa Smoking Ban

The Iowa House has narrowly approved a smoking ban that would exclude bars and restaurants with a liquor license, reversing a broader version of the bill approved earlier this month.

It's a major setback for health advocates who argued about the risks of secondhand smoke. Business owners have lobbied against the bill, saying they would be hurt by the ban.

The issue must now be resolved through negotiations with the Senate, which passed a tougher version of the ban.

Current law requires restaurants above a certain size to designate an area for nonsmoking customers. The measure approved Wednesday would overturn that and allow restaurants and bars to decide for themselves whether to allow smoking.
http://www.keloland.com

Smokers denied rights

Smokers denied rights
JAMIE PAYNE

CEDAR FALLS --- For years customers would enjoy having a drink and a puff from their favorite cigarette visiting with friends at one of the many bars at Mall of America, but not today. The bars are now closed because of lack of business. The do-gooder Democrats rammed a bill through Congress banning smoking in bars, etc. This is nothing less than a restraint of trade.

This smoking hoopla is a matter of choice and if some people don't want to be around the smoke they should seek to patronize nonsmoking establishments, and workers should find employment where the owners have already chosen to have a smoke-free environment. The same thing is going to happen here where we live. Our civil liberties are being challenged at every turn. It all started when Bill Clinton and the U.S. Marshals took out Randy Weaver and his family at Ruby Ridge, Idaho. Randy thought he was selling a rifle to a friend of a friend but turned out to be a plant by the FBI/AFT, an agent who befriended Weaver. Randy Weaver and his friend were cleared of all charges in court.

We as Americans are going to continue to be robbed of our liberties by a handful of arrogant liberal do-gooders unless we nip it in the bud. The lawmakers job is to enact laws that protect our bill of rights, not to make laws that appease a few people at the expense of the rest of us.
http://www.wcfcourier.com

Is the party over for town's nightlife?

Is the party over for town's nightlife?

FEARS are growing for the future of South Shields town centre nightlife hit by the smoking ban, cut-price supermarket booze and the global credit crunch.

Pub bosses, taxi drivers and restaurant owners all say the booming party scene, which the town enjoyed in the 1980s and 1990s, has been on the decline for almost a decade.

In the past three months the nightlife industry has been hit even harder after two key nightspots closed their doors. Eivissa, a town-centre name for almost a decade, shut last month, while recently million-pound development Chase in Ocean Road, closed after falling sales.

Today a Gazette investigation paints a bleak picture of a town centre – which once rivalled Newcastle and Sunderland as a top night out – fighting for customers.

Pubwatch chairman Glen Winlow, also manager of Dusk in Mile End Road, said: "The entire industry is in a rut at the moment, with the smoking ban, cheap supermarket alcohol and people having to tighten their belts because of the economic downturn.

"Town centre establishments are feeling the pinch, and drinking habits aren't what they used to be.

"Chase was part of a huge national chain and it closed, so that shows the kind of problems we face.

"Cheap supermarket drinks are also fuelling a resurgence of house parties which are affecting the trade, but I don't feel we're overpriced compared to Newcastle and Sunderland.

"I'm confident the town centre can bounce back, and I still believe there's a positive outlook on this."

But some taxi drivers say there's been a steady decline in trade for almost a decade.

Mark Wood, owner of Whiteleas Taxis, said: "There's only one night when people in South Shields head into town, and that's Saturday. It's such a shame.

"This hasn't happened overnight, there's been such long period of decline over several years."

A town centre pub boss, who didn't wish to be named, said: "I think a lot of people have buried their heads in the sand, hoping people will start coming back to South Shields, but unless major improvements are made to the town centre, I can't see the heyday returning very soon."

Mark Stamps, from Dial-A-Cab in Laygate, said: "South Shields town centre has been well and truly left behind.

"People looking for a good night out are heading off to Newcastle or Sunderland where they can pay the same prices for a much better night.

"There hasn't been enough investment over the years, and the smoking ban was the killer blow."

In Ocean Road, famous for its booming restaurant trade, some business chiefs say they've also been feeling the pinch.

One Bengali businessman, who didn't wish to be named, said his Indian restaurant was at its quietest for 15 years.

He said: "There have been lulls in business in the past, but its never been as bad as this.

"In the past, we'd expect to be full up at the weekend, but now we're lucky to half fill the place on a Friday night."

Mike Brumby, chairman of the South Tyneside committee of the North East Chamber of Commerce, said there had to be a better balance of bars for older people, and encouraged more investment from the private sector.

He said: "There are lots of bars and pubs aimed at the 18-25 age group, but there's not a lot for older people.

"Traditionally South Shields has always appealed to a very wide age group, and I think that appeal needs to be brought back.

"I'd love to see more private investment in the town centre. I know there are plans for the shopping area, but I hope this positive news eventually extends to the night-time economy."

He added: "I've had mixed messages about the smoking ban. People standing outside bars smoking find it easier to just walk across to the next bar, so there's more competition for business.

"But I also think the ban has exposed those bars and pubs which have under invested over the years, and haven't had any new ideas."

Beacon and Bents Coun John Wood said: "The council has been very flexible in granting extended licensing hours and allowing some outlets to put tables and chairs outside their premises, so we've done a lot to help.

"However, I think that it's a phase we're going through where people are heading to Sunderland and Newcastle for nights out, but these trends change and I'm hopeful that people will come back to South Shields again."

But taxi driver Daryn Saxon, 42, from Marsden, said the lack of a 'superclub' is the root cause of the problem.

He said: "The town no longer has the revellers it used to have.

"I think its because there are no super clubs in the area anymore, Newcastle and Sunderland have a lot of clubs and pubs and its buzzing."
http://www.shieldsgazette.com

Pub chain in big sell-off

Pub chain in big sell-off
Scores of well-known pubs are being sold off by a national chain because of “difficult trading conditions” and the impact of the smoking ban.

The Bank in Wolverhampton, two Hog’s Head pubs – in Leicester Street, Walsall and another in Stafford – as well as Yates’s in Kidderminster and Cannock are on the market.

Hundreds of jobs at 94 pubs have been put at risk in the move by Luton-based The Laurel Pub Company.

The company today said it would try to relocate staff where possible, but bosses predicted there would be some redundancies.

It follows pub chain JD Wetherspoon’s announcement last week that the impact of last year’s smoking ban, coupled with cost pressures, had led to a 13 per cent fall in pre-tax profits.

Laurel Pub Company spokeswoman Emma Currin said: “The Laurel Pub Company is putting 94 pubs up for sale due to the impact of the smoking ban and difficult trading conditions, five of which are in the West Midlands area.”

She added it would not be known how many jobs could be lost in the West Midlands until each of the five pubs is sold.

Formed in 2004, Laurel Pub Company has grown to become one of the UK’s leading pub and restaurant operators, with around 460 establishments.

As well as Yates’s, they include other high-street names including Ha! Ha! Bar & Canteen, Hog’s Head, La Tasca, La Vina, Litten Tree and The Slug and Lettuce.
http://www.expressandstar.com

Shisha cafe accused of breaching smoking laws

Shisha cafe accused of breaching smoking laws
By Tom Moseley

A SHISHA cafe has become the first premises in Blackburn with Darwen to be prosecuted under new anti-smoking laws.

The manager of the Sahara cafe, in Darwen Street, Blackburn, has claimed council bosses are trying to make an example of him.

Muhammad Jaber insisted he is innocent and that nobody had used the traditional Middle Eastern-style pipes in his cafe since smoking in public places became illegal last July.
advertisement

But he revealed he would be leaving Blackburn because of the devastating effect the ban has had on trade, with takings plummeting 70 per cent.

The 53-year-old appeared in court on Friday charged with breaching the anti-smoking laws on September 22 last year.

Mr Jaber is charged with failing to stop a person smoking and obstructing an enforcement officer.

Council bosses said they "did not take any pleasure in launching court proceedings" but that they were "just doing our job".

Speaking after the case was adjourned, Mr Jaber said: "I am not going to plead guilty, because I am not guilty.

"It's like finding blood and a knife and saying you have killed someone. They didn't find anyone smoking."

Following the ban, campaigners lobbied the government to make an exception to the law - which banned smoking in enclosed public spaces - for Shisha.

Shisha is an ancient Middle Eastern tradition in which fruit-scented tobacco is burnt using coal, passed through an ornate water vessel and inhaled through a hose.

The cafes had a surge in popularity in the past 10 years, but have been hit hard by the smoking ban.

One Shisha bar owner from Bradford is taking a stand against the new laws in what is seen as a landmark test case. The owner of the Markaz Shisha Lounge in the city admits smoking has gone on inside the premises but is hoping to win such cafes an exemption.

Mr Jaber, who moved to Blackburn 22 years ago from Palestine, said he sold coals, flavoured tobacco or herbal fruit pulp and hired out the water-filtered shisha pipes to punters, but did not allow smoking inside anymore.

He said: "We tried to comply with the law. A lot of our customers come in to buy Shisha and want to smoke it in here but we do not let them.

"The smoking ban has affected everyone, not only me. But this is our business. It's part of our culture.

"My takings are down by 70 per cent. We have had petitions with thousands of signatures, but nobody's listening. I would like to lead the way but I feel they have got me as a target to teach the others."

Mr Jaber, of Arncliffe Avenue, Accrington, said he now planned to open a cafe, selling just food, in the Trafford Centre, Manchester, because of the situation in Blackburn.

The owner of the Sahara Cafe is currently abroad and it is not know whether he intends to keep it open as a Shisha venue after Mr Jaber has left.

A council spokesman said they had twice warned the cafe verbally and once in writing about smoking allegedly continuing at the cafe.

Coun Slater, executive member for citizens and consumer rights, said: "Shisha smoking is far more dangerous than cigarette smoking. At the end of the day no-one is above the law of the land. All we are doing is enforcing the legal requirements. We don't take any great pleasure in this, we are just doing our job."

If convicted, Mr Jaber could face a fine of hundreds of pounds plus costs.

The case was adjourned until March 28.

Earlier this month, The Tacklers Club in Knowsley Street, Colne, was the first licensed premises in East Lancashire to be prosecuted for flouting the smoking ban.
http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/

SMOKED OUT BY 'NAZIS'

SMOKED OUT BY 'NAZIS'
A pub landlord says he's going to sell up and move abroad after being landed with a massive legal bill for breaking the smoking ban.

Tony Blows has put his country inn on the market and says he wants to move abroad because Britain has become a "Nazi state".

Mr Blows was fined more than £1,000, and ordered to pay council legal costs of £10,800, after being found guilty of lighting up and letting customers smoke in the Dog Inn at Ewyas Harold, Herefordshire.
"It's a travesty," said Mr Blows, who is one of the first landlords in the country to be taken to court for flouting the ban that came into force in July last year.

"If you get caught smoking drugs in the street, you get off with a slap on the wrist. But you get caught smoking in a pub you get £12,000. I'd probably have got less if I'd been caught with crack cocaine.

We are going to buy abroad

"We've put the pub on the market and we are going to buy abroad. There's no point staying in this country, it's becoming a Nazi state."

A guest who booked to stay at the inn while on