BII REACTS IN DISMAY TO SMOKING PROPOSALS

John McNamara, Chief Executive, said: "The BII feels that serving food should not preclude a premises from offering a smoking area. In recent years, pubs have increasingly served a good range of food and this has widened the choice to customers and made licensed premises more family friendly. This has been welcomed by customers and licensees alike.

"However, the new legislation will undoubtedly present a difficult choice for licensees and customers, and mean that the pub may lose its appeal to a wider audience. The BII favours the element of choice for customers, whether they are non-smokers or smokers, to drink and eat in licensed premises.

"The BII  strongly opposes the proposal that members clubs are exempt from the ban. If the basis for banning smoking is to protect staff working in licensed premises, those working in members’ clubs deserve the same protection.

"Allowing smoking in members’ clubs would lead to a migration of drinkers from local pubs into the members’ clubs, which could essentially become smoking clubs. This loss of custom to small licensed premises could drive them out of business.

"The BII believes that the lead in time for the new legislation should be extended for implementation in 2010. This would allow time for licensees to become better informed on the issues of smoking restriction. An extension of the timetable would also give more time for changes in public behaviour with regards to smoking.