A year ago (1 July 2007) the smoking ban became law throughout the UK, as England caught up with the rest of the country, and hospitality workers are now breathing easy in a smoke-free environment.
The road to a ban on smoking in all enclosed public spaces has been a bumpy one, since Caterer launched the Stub out Smoking campaign in September 2004 to protect the health of UK hospitality workers.
The pub industry has had to face up to changing its traditional business model. Wine sales and a quality food offering have become vitally important as pub operators turn to families, females and the over-fifties as their new customer base.
But this move could not have come at a worse time. The credit crunch has squeezed consumer spending and customers who may have been enticed into smoke-free pubs are thinking again about spending money.
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The smoking ban also forced operators to embark on a mammoth refurbishment programme, redeveloping outside areas and investing in cleaner, more modern pub environments.
Like it or not the smoking ban has changing the pub industry inalterably so below you’ll find a collection of Caterersearch articles covering the smoking debate that we’ve pulled together for ease of reference.
Included is details of our campaign, the controversy and battling that surrounded the Act itself in England and Wales, Scotland’s experience with a ban and the latest news and opinion surrounding this most emotive of subjects.
Smoking ban timetable in Britain and Ireland
Republic of Ireland: March 2004
Scotland: March 2006
Wales: 2 April 2007
England: 1 July 2007
Northern Ireland: 20 April 2007
Latest news on the smoking ban
Pubs'n'Bars bucks the general malaise
Pubgoers should use jumpers, not heaters, says government
Mitchells & Butlers sees sales stagnate in challenging market
Enterprise puts £37m back into struggling pubs
Isle of Man introduces public smoking ban
JD Wetherspoon feels smoking ban pinch
Pub closure rate rises in 2007
Anger over move to ban patio heaters
Two million adults going to pubs less after smoking ban
Enterprise Inns offers rent concessions to struggling licensees
Punch reports a drop in sales after smoking ban
English public continues to back smoking ban
Smoking ban news archive
Thwaites pub profits increase after restructuring of business
Budget hotels to ban bedroom smoking from the New Year
Restaurants confident smoking ban will boost business
Support for smoking ban rises
Businesses need to keep records of anyone caught smoking in public places
Pubs 'n' Bars claims smoking ban will be bad for business
Shepherd Neame smoking ban redevelopments cost £3m
Half of England unaware of smoking ban date
Amount of pub-chef job adverts soar ahead of smoking ban
Marston's to spend £20m on outside smoking areas
London's Savoy hotel bans smoking in public areas
Association boss attacks late publication of partial smoking ban regulations
England smoking ban set for 1 July start
Little cheer from smoking ban definition
Smoking ban already shaping pub market
Wales to ban smoking in April 2007
Smoking ban starts in Scotland
News comment on the smoking ban
Greene King drive to boost pub landladies
Smoke signals from Scotland: 18 months on
Smoking ban will make catering industry more appealing
Smoking ban the catalyst as pub market diversifies
Little cheer from smoking ban definition
English pubs get set to show smokers the great outdoors
Smoking – the aftermath
Set your sights now for when the smoke clears
What can Ireland’s smoking ban teach UK hospitality?
Smoking bans around the world
Europe-wide smoking ban proposals made
French mobilise smoking legion to enforce ban
Hong Kong smoking ban starts
France to ban smoking in public places from February next year
German government proposes watered-down ban on smoking
Hong Kong and Houston set to ban smoking in enclosed places
Fact sheets on the smoking ban
Smokefree England - the regulations: >>
Smokefree England - overview >>
Smoking ban on video
Brad Upton
Smoking ban in Arkansas
‘Bill Hicks’ at the Edinburgh Fringe
Smoking ban blog posts
Caterer Blog
BBC Action Network
Cigar Envy
Smoke-Free Scotland
The Fire Behind The Welsh Smoking Ban
The smoking ban on the web
The Health Act 2006
The smoking ban in Scotland
The smoking ban in Wales
The latest on the smoking ban on Smokefree England
BBPA concerns over elements of the smoking ban
Smoking ban in England on Wikipedia
Smoking ban on the BBC
