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ASH Scotland comments on SLTA survey

23rd August 2006

Commenting on the survey released today by the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, Maureen Moore, Chief Executive of ASH Scotland said,

"Scotland's smoke-free legislation was brought in on the grounds of health, not on anecdotal reports concerning the profit margins of a minority of SLTA members. In March this year we took decisive action to remove a known carcinogenic substance from Scotland's enclosed public places and workplaces. In this we followed the best available international knowledge about the effects of second-hand smoke and followed the lead of countries like Ireland and Norway where the health of bar workers has measurably improved and predictions of economic disaster have been shown to be unfounded.

Before the legislation came in, The SLTA made a number of forecasts regarding its supposed impacts. They predicted a huge decline in profits for licensed premises, mass job loses within the licensed trade and that some 142 average-sized licensed premises could close down as a result of decreased trade. This scale of devastation has clearly completely failed to materialise.

Six weeks ago the SLTA criticised ASH Scotland for publicising reports from publicans of how positively Scotland's smoking ban has come in. They claimed it would take at least a year to be clear on the impact of legislation, and said we were talking 'premature nonsense'. Now they are publicising the unsubstantiated opinions of a small minority of their members, without factoring in all the wider economic pressures on pubs and small businesses, and presenting these as if they told us something meaningful. It smacks of desperation.

Across Scotland, the message is clear. The majority of Scots have welcomed and embraced the legislation. Many people have used the legislation as a motivation to quit or to smoke less when they are out. The overall picture is a positive one."

Commenting on the SLTA claims that things would get worse in the winter, Mrs Moore said:

"The SLTA's reputation for forecasting is not good. We don't yet know what will happen this winter in Scottish pubs. It is quite possible that more smokers will be motivated to quit smoking, or will choose to smoke less while they are out socialising. In Ireland, Norway, Sweden and Canada where smoke free legislation has been in place for several years - and none of them are famed for having mild winter weather - there have been no substantiated reports of adverse effects on the licensed trade. Unlike the SLTA, I believe the good news about Scotland's legislation and its impacts will continue to get better."

ENDS

Notes for Editors

One year after the legislation came in in Ireland, the Central Statistics Office figures reported a 5.3% decline in bar trade. This was in line with the 4% decline in the previous three years and contrary to the claims of some bar trade representatives that trade had declined between 15% to 25%. Other factors such as changing demographics and increased off-sales have contributed to the decline of traditional pubs.
The most recent release of the Retail Sales Index, which has final seasonally adjusted figures for April 2006, shows that the volume of bar sales in April 2006 are up 4.7% compared to April 2005. In the 3 month period Feb-April 2006 the volume of sale has increased by 1.5% compared to the same period in 2005. The seasonally adjusted value of bar sales in April 2006 was up 6.5% compared to April 2005, and up 3.2% in the three month period Feb-April 2006 compared to the same period in 2005.
Source: http://www.cso.ie/releasespublications/documents/services/current/rsi.pdf#search=%22Retail%20Sales%20Index%20Ireland%22
The most recent MRUK omnibus survey on attitudes to the ban showed that 61% of about 1,000 respondents supported the ban, 73% thought the ban had been successful, and more than a third of smokers surveyed said the ban had helped them to reduce the amount they smoke.
A Cancer Research UK opinion poll taken in April 2006 asked 1,000 respondents if they would visit bars more often, less often or about the same under new legislation.
- 24% said more often
- 45% said about the same
- 10% said they would visit less often
- 20% said they don't visit pubs
- 1% said unsure

For more information please call ASH Scotland on 0131 225 4725 during office hours or 0777 3351878 at other times.

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