Wetherspoon to ban smoking
One of Britain’s leading pub chains, JD Wetherspoon, has announced that all of its pubs are to go smoke-free from May 2006.
And 60 are to become smoke-free from May this year with pubs across the country pioneering the new approach.
As the majority of its pubs serve bar snacks and meals, it would have been affected by the Government’s plans to ban smoking in public places that serve food.
But, the decision to ban smoking before legislation has been introduced will come as a boost to anti-smoking campaigners who argue that pubs can ban smoking without losing business.
The Government’s Public Health White Paper, published in November, envisaged that all public places serving food, would become smoke-free in 2008.
However, smoking would still be allowed in pubs and clubs that do not serve food.
Tim Martin, non-executive chairman of Wetherspoon, said: “An increasing percentage of the population are giving up smoking and a significant number of people are staying away from pubs and restaurants because they are too smoky. JD Wetherspoon pioneered non-smoking areas but we now feel it is the right time to go one step further.
“The Government’s approach to the issue of a smoking ban does not make sense, since pubs can get around it by giving up food sales. We believe our approach of a complete ban after a period of notice is the right one.”
The move by Wetherspoon represents a change of heart by Mr Martin, who had previously warned it would be “commercial suicide for a pub company to prohibit smoking in the absence of a nationwide ban by the Government. Going it alone, in my opinion, is not a viable option in the pub world.”
Welcoming the move, Deborah Arnott, director of anti-smoking group ASH said: “This is very encouraging news and we’re sure that now Wetherspoon has set the trend, other pub chains will soon follow suit.
“It shows that the Government has nothing to fear from introducing legislation to make all pubs smokefree. The Government should respond to this development and revise its plans so that all pubs become smoke-free along with all other workplaces.”
