Scotland’s smoking ban is attracting people back into pubs and bars rather than driving them away, according to a new report from Cancer Research.

The new report found that nearly a quarter of Scots are more likely to visit pubs and bars more often now that they are smoke-free.

The poll, which included smokers and non-smokers, found nearly a quarter of those quizzed (24%) are now more likely to visit their local thanks to the smoking ban introduced in March.

In addition to this, nearly half (45%) of respondents said they were still going to a pub or bar just as frequently as before the start of the ban.

Jean King, Cancer Research UK’s director of tobacco control, said: “The results of this survey should reassure publicans still worried that the smoking ban will drive customers away. They mirror the positive experience of other countries that have already gone smoke-free.”

King said making pubs and bars smoke-free gave workers the protection they deserved and created a more appealing place for customers to enjoy a drink.

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By Matthew Batham

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