A quarter of England’s families will use cafes, restaurants and pubs more frequently after the start of the country’s smoking ban on 1 July, according to new research.

After quality of food, 60% of parents said finding a smoke free venue was the most important deciding factor as to where to spend their money.

The poll of 2,000 adults in England conducted by BMRB for charity Cancer Research UK also found good support for the new law with 80% of adults backing it.

Jean King, Cancer Research UK’s director of tobacco control, said: "All employees, including those in pubs and clubs, deserve the right to work in a safe environment."

Research from pub company Greene King in April suggested the smoking ban would also entice many more women into pubs.

However, whether new custom will offset the predicted fall in revenues from the loss of smoking and typically profitable heavy drinking customers is uncertain.

But high street chain JD Wetherspoon, which has converted a number of pubs to smoke free already, warned that while a UK-wide smoking ban will be good for the trade in the long-term, it has taken its converted sites one to two years to recover to pre-ban trading levels.

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By Chris Druce

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