This chapter presents respondents' views on the benefits of a smoke free environment in public houses and restaurants and the main disadvantages for them as customers of banning or restricting smoking in public houses and restaurants.
The majority of smokers (79%) did not perceive any benefits of a smoke free environment for them as customers of public houses. Conversely, the majority of non-smokers (79%) felt there were benefits in having smoke free public houses. Smokers were a little more likely to consider that there were benefits for them regarding smoke free restaurants than smoke free public houses (26% and 15%).
Respondents were asked what they thought was the main benefit of having smoke free public houses (Table 7.1) and restaurants (Table 7.2). Most smokers felt there were no benefits for them either with regard to public houses or restaurants (76% and 67% respectively). However, more than one in ten non-smokers also considered there were no benefits.
Notably, smokers identified 'health' (11%) rather than comfort (6%) as their main benefit with regard to smoke free public houses. However, non-smokers selected comfort/enjoyment (e.g. not smelling of smoke)(41% and 45%) over health (e.g. no pollution/clean air/less toxins in the air) (36%) as the main benefit of smoke free public houses and restaurants.
Of the smokers and non smokers who felt there was a health risk from inhaling other's smoke, 45% (93 respondents) and 5% (15 respondents) respectively still felt there was no benefit in having smoke free public houses. Overall, these findings suggest low levels of awareness of the health risks of passive smoking.
| Table 7-1 Main Benefit of Smoke Free Public Houses | ||
| Benefit | % of Smokers | % of Non-Smokers |
| None | 76 | 14 |
| Health Issues | 11 | 36 |
| Health | 7 | 28 |
| No pollution/clean air/less toxins in the air | 2 | 8 |
| Helps cut down on smoking/prevents heavy smokers smoking too much | 2 | * |
| Social Issues | 3 | 5 |
| I would be able to go for a drink/encourage me to socialise | * | 4 |
| Keeps smokers and non-smokers apart | 1 | 1 |
| Gives people the choice | 2 | * |
| Comfort/Enjoyment Issues | 6 | 41 |
| More enjoyable to visit smoke free atmosphere | 3 | 18 |
| Wouldn't have a cough the next day/sore throat | - | 1 |
| Being able to breathe more easily | 2 | 11 |
| Not smelling of smoke | 1 | 10 |
| Would have better sense of taste/smell/enjoy food/drink more | * | 1 |
| Don't know/not bothered | 2 | 2 |
| N= | 514 | 452 |
| Table 7-2 Main Benefit of Smoke Free Restaurants | ||
| Benefit | % of Smokers | % of Non-Smokers |
| None | 67 | 12 |
| Health Issues | 10 | 36 |
| Health | 4 | 22 |
| No pollution, fumes, toxins/cleaner atmosphere | 4 | 14 |
| Feel guilty smoking near non-smokers - encourage | 2 | * |
| Smokers not to smoke | 2 | * |
| Social Issues | 4 | 5 |
| Safer environment | - | 1 |
| Better environment for children | 1 | 1 |
| Keeps smokers and non-smokers apart | 1 | 1 |
| Having a choice where to sit | 2 | 1 |
| More customers would go to non-smoking restaurants | - | 1 |
| Comfort Issues | 16 | 45 |
| Food taste better without smoky atmosphere | 10 | 22 |
| Not smelling of smoke | 2 | 8 |
| Keep food fresh/hygiene of food preparation | 1 | 5 |
| More enjoyable to visit smoke free atmosphere | 2 | 6 |
| Breathe more easily | 1 | 4 |
| Don't know/not bothered | 2 | 2 |
| N= | 499 | 439 |
Respondents were asked what they thought was the main disadvantage of banning or restricting smoking in public houses and restaurants (Table 7.3 and Table 7.4).
Smokers perceived more disadvantages to banning or restricting smoking in public houses than restaurants. They felt the main disadvantages with regard to public houses were issues such as losing friendships, difficulty enforcing smoking restriction and stopping people socialising in public houses. These issues were perceived as less important regarding restaurants.
As expected, the majority of non-smokers perceived no disadvantage to banning or restricting smoking in both public houses and restaurants, particularly with regard to restaurants (78% and 83% respectively).
| Table 7-3 Disadvantages of Banning or Restricting Smoking in Public Houses | ||
| Disadvantage | % of Smokers | % of Non-Smokers |
| No disadvantage/none | 28 | 78 |
| Rights | 11 | 3 |
| Take away people's rights/freedom of choice | 7 | 2 |
| Lots of people smoke/would not be popular | 2 | 1 |
| Not being able to smoke | 2 | - |
| Comfort Issues | 7 | - |
| Atmosphere would not be the same | 1 | - |
| No enjoyment of a cigarette with a drink/meal | 6 | - |
| Social/Commercial Issues | 48 | 17 |
| Would lose customers/people would not go out as often | 40 | 12 |
| Might lose friends/stops people socialising | 3 | 4 |
| All my friends smoke | 1 | 1 |
| People would have to go outside and smoke | 2 | * |
| Difficult to enforce | 2 | * |
| Don't know | 4 | 2 |
| N= | 536 | 452 |
| Table 7-4 Disadvantages of Banning or Restricting Smoking in Restaurants | ||
| Disadvantage | % of Smokers | % of Non-Smokers |
| No disadvantage/none | 46 | 83 |
| Rights | 10 | 5 |
| Take away people's rights/freedom of choice | 6 | 4 |
| People would not like it | 2 | 1 |
| Comfort Issues | 5 | - |
| No enjoyment of a cigarette with a drink/meal | 5 | - |
| Social-Commercial Issues | 33 | 10 |
| Would lose customers/people would not go out as often | 26 | 7 |
| Less staff would work there/most of them smoke | 4 | 2 |
| People would smoke outside/in the toilet | 3 | 1 |
| Atmosphere would not be the same | * | - |
| Difficult to enforce | * | * |
| Don't know | 5 | 2 |
| N= | 518 | 442 |
Overall, fewer smokers were against banning or restricting smoking in restaurants compared with public houses. This suggests that some smokers may come to support restrictions where they are already in place, so the survey findings suggest that if more public houses introduced restrictions, as has occurred with restaurants, then acceptance amongst smokers could potentially follow. This is consistent with the findings in Chapter 5 with regard to whether non-smoking should be the norm in public places.