Three years on – industry calls time on a complete smoking ban

Today is the third anniversary of the public places smoking ban in England and the Tobacco Manufacturers’ Association (TMA) is calling on government to provide for exemptions to the smoking ban. The majority of EU Member States have allowed for exemptions to the smoking ban and we hope that the UK Government will do the same.

Christopher Ogden, Chief Executive of the TMA commented:

“We are not opposed to restrictions on smoking in public places but a new survey[1] shows 64% of smokers no longer go to the pub or go less than before. Three in five smokers[2] in the UK would welcome a relaxation of the ban to offer designated smoking rooms. The results also suggest very little support for extending the smoking ban to other areas, 62% would go less often to the pub if smoking was banned in all of the pubs’ outdoor areas”.

The TMA believes there is an economic case for potential exemptions in order to achieve a more equitable approach to the issue of public place smoking.

Christopher Ogden added:

“We are recovering from recession and it is time to lift the legislative weight off struggling local businesses and their communities. The smoking ban has, contrary to claims from health organisations, severely threatened the £6 billion pub and bingo industry by negatively affecting thousands of people working in the hospitality sector who have lost sales, jobs and their livelihoods. Here is the evidence of how the smoking ban has impacted on Britain’s pubs and clubs:

- In the last year, almost 2,000 more English pubs have closed making a total loss of 4,148 since the ban in 2007 and over 10,000 jobs have been lost per year.
- The rate of closures has almost trebled since the ban (1.1% 2004-7 versus 2.8% 2007-10).
- 7.6% of pubs in England[3] and 20% of bingo halls[4] have closed in total since the ban.
- Almost 40 pubs are closing every week. [5]

“The TMA supports an amendment to the legislation that would give landlords the choice to allow separate smoking rooms in pubs and clubs and we would encourage the Government to improve the legislation by introducing this proportionate amendment. Adult smokers should have available to them places where they may smoke without inconveniencing others and any review should be balanced, proportionate and take into account the likelihood of continued negative impact on business.”

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For further information and/or interviews please contact the TMA media line on 020 7544 0111, or:

Zoe Walker, Manager Corporate Affairs Mob: 07790 060041 email: zwalker@the-tma.org.uk

Dirk Vennix, Director of Communications Mob: 07872 376748 email: dvennix@the-tma.org.uk

Notes to Editors:

1. The TMA is the trade association for the following tobacco companies that operate in the UK: British American Tobacco UK Ltd (bat.com), Gallaher Ltd, a member of JTI Group (JTI.com) and Imperial Tobacco Ltd. (imperial-tobacco.com).

2. The public places smoking ban was imposed in Scotland on 26th March 2006, in Wales on 2nd April 2007 and in Northern Ireland on 30th April 2007.

3. Results from the Smokers’ Panel survey showed there is very little support amongst smokers for a ban on smoking in cars where children are present. 85% of smokers do not smoke at all in cars because there are children present. The TMA believes that adults should be free to smoke in private vehicles, provided they do not light up or smoke in a way that would distract from safe driving. They should also show due consideration for other occupants and dispose of cigarette ends responsibly in ashtrays. The proposal to ban smoking in what is a private space is a step too far and an unwarranted intrusion on individual freedom.

4. Exemptions have been applied and smoking provisions have been provided in the majority of EU Member States as can be seen in a survey prepared by the Confederation of European Community Cigarette Manufacturers (CECCM), of which TMA is a member. Details are available on request.

5. Further information regarding the smoking ban is available on our new website, launched today: www.the-tma.org.uk. If you would like to get an email alert and stay in touch with the latest breaking news and media statements from the TMA, you can now register online. We have also introduced new features such as a media centre (including images and videos), the latest TMA polls, up to date industry news as well as our views on a range of policy issues, varying from the display ban to smoking in public places.

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[1] Smokers’ Panel survey conducted by Holden Pearmain in May 2010 with 1,000+ smokers.

[2] Latest figures (2008) from the Government’s General Lifestyle Survey show that 21% of the adult population (16+) in Great Britain were cigarette/hand-rolling tobacco smokers – although the report does note that this is likely to be an understatement. This equates to around 10.2 million smokers – 8.7 million in England.

[3] 11.1% in Scotland and 8.9% in Wales. The rate of decline (7%) is identical for the three countries in the ten quarters following the ban despite the different starting dates. CGA Strategy figures 2007-2010.

[4] 130 bingo halls have closed in the three years since the ban – Bingo Association figures 2010

[5] British Beer & Pub Association figures released in April 2010