BEDA / ALMR smoking summit

Smoking area at Tigerlily Edinburgh

20 may 2007

BEDA & ALMR HOST SMOKING BAN SUMMIT

UPFRONT, news, June 2007, COMMENTS

BEDA, the Bar Entertainment and Dance Association, teamed up with the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers to create the first Smokeless Zone summit on 17 May, designed to underscore the potential business benefits of the July 1 smoking ban.

A group of key industry stakeholders including BEDA, the Bar Entertainment and Dance Association, teamed up with the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers to create the first Smokeless Zone summit on 17 May, designed to underscore the potential business benefits of the July 1 smoking ban.

Attendees included venue operators, politicians and members of the licensed trade’s associated industries and press, who met at the Longacre Bar in London. The joint initiative included speeches from BEDA executive director Paul Smith, Nick Bish of the ALMR and John Grogan MP, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Beer Group and an active advocate of the licensed trade in the House of Commons. Key areas of discussion included the interpretation of the Health Act (2006), the pessimitic tone of business press coverage ahead of the ban, the rise of continental-style outdoor drinking areas and the experience of smoking bans by trade partners in Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

BEDA also used the summit to reveal the findings of on trade research group CGA: that operators were broadly positive about the ban, with licensee support for the ban increased from 34% to 50% since the passing of the announcement of the ban’s introduction. The statistics also showed that negative opinions of the ban had decreased from 46% to 38%, while 89% of licensees believe the ban would have a positive effect on the working environment.

Speaking at the event, John Grogan MP underlined his commitment to representing the concerns of the licensed trade at the House of Commons, while BEDA’s Paul Smith detailed in his speech the likely impact of the smoking ban, suggesting that only a light touch would be would be required to execute enforcement.

Said Smith: “The purpose of this joint initiative was to accentuate some of the positives we have had reported back to us from operators who have been through bans in other parts of the UK. These operators have been through the same uncertainty and worry that many English operators are currently going through, yet importantly have come out the other side generally upbeat about the future. The smoking ban is just another manifestation of how licensed premises are changing to become more pleasant places to socialise.

“Clearly the implementation of the ban needs to be done without resorting to unreasonable force. From our observation of companies in other countries where smoking bans have been implemented customer compliance has never been an issue, so we feel that a lightness of touch makes most sense.”

Nick Bish of the ALMR added: “Our experience talking to operators in Wales in that the new ban has gone well with 100% compliance. In Scotland, although they were extremely apprehensive about the ban before it came in, one year on no operators would wish to return to smoking establishments.”

BEDA will be working tirelessly ahead of the 1 July smoking ban to ensure that BEDA members are up to date with the latest advice and guidance on enforcement. For details on further Smokeless Zone summits or for advice in preparing for the ban, contact the BEDA office.

Images: Jim Ellam

From: June 2007 Issue

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