More than 60% of Londoners would like to see the capital's restaurants and bars entirely smoke-free and more than a third (40%) would prefer pubs and bars to go the same way, according to a new survey.
The London Health Commission's (LHC) Big Smoke online poll of 34,446 people exposed a growing public aversion to smoky environments, with more than three-quarters of respondents saying they would prefer all enclosed public spaces to be smokeless.
Only 4% of people thought smoking should be allowed throughout restaurants and caf‚s, and only 14% in pubs and bars.
Commenting on the results, Len Duvall, chairman of the LHC, said: "There's a perception, particularly within the hospitality industry, that going smoke-free will result in a reduction in business, but this is not the case. Smoke-free policies make sense for business as we have seen in smoke-free cities such as San Francisco, where there has been either a neutral or positive effect on profits."
But Nick Bish, chairman of the Charter Group, which has been promoting a voluntary code on smoking in the hospitality workplace since 1998, said the survey was "nothing new". Since implementation, the Public Places Charter has successfully reached and beaten targets designated by the Government; 63% of pubs now display Charter signage informing customers of their smoking policy and the number of no-smoking areas in pubs has doubled from 23% to 46% from 1997.
Martin Couchman, deputy chief executive of the British Hospitality Association, said a voluntary approach was still the best option for consumers and operators.
The legal difficulties surrounding smoking bans have been highlighted by Ireland, which this month delayed anti-smoking legislation to ensure it was watertight.
Ray Silverstein, a partner at legal firm Browne Jacobson, said: "It is open to argument whether the Mayor of London has the delegated authority to impose smoking bans in public areas - particularly bars or nightclubs. Ultimately the wording of the legislation is ambiguous, so if bans are imposed then there will be scope for challenging the principle in court."
Liverpool, Birmingham, Brighton and Poole are among other British cities considering implementing similar smoking restrictions.