The pub trade has a long history of failed attempts at self-regulation on smoking. After the 1998 White Paper “Smoking Kills”, [1] the pub trade produced a voluntary scheme called the “Public Places Charter”. In discussion with the Department of Health, trade leaders agreed that 50% of all pubs and half of the members of the Restaurant Association should be Charter Compliant by January 2003, with 35% of that 50% restricting smoking to designated and enforced areas and/or have ventilation that meets agreed industry standards. But in its April 2003 progress report, the Charter Group revealed that 47% of pubs surveyed still allowed smoking throughout. Fewer than 1% had banned smoking completely. [2]

The latest voluntary scheme was promised by five of the biggest pub companies in September 2004. [3] Together they control fewer than half Britain’s pubs (22,000 out of 55,000). The five companies are

·         Enterprise Inns

·         Mitchells and Butlers

·         Punch Pub Company

·         Scottish and Newcastle Pub Enterprises, and

·         Spirit Group.

The companies promised to end smoking at and behind the bar area of pubs by the end of 2005, and to move from 35% smokefree trading floor space at the end of 2005 to 80% smokefree by the end of 2009. The largest chains do not even have direct control of their leasehold (rather than tenanted or managed) pubs, and therefore cannot guarantee that they will meet any voluntary standards.

The new plans will not protect the health of pub workers and members of the public. Smoking and non-smoking areas cannot be effectively separated, since smoke drifts. Pub employees will still have to work in smoking areas, threatening their health. 

Under the plans of the large pub chains, small chains and independent publicans could be forced to install expensive and ineffective ventilation systems in order to meet the new standards, making them uncompetitive with pubs owned by the larger chains.

The pub companies have claimed that an end to smoking in pubs and other workplaces could cost the UK economy £3.5 billion.[4] This is flatly contradicted by, among others, the Government’s Chief Medical Officer, whose latest annual report estimates that a policy of creating smokefree workplaces in the UK would bring a net benefit to society of between £2.3 and £2.7 billion a year, equivalent to treating 1.3 to 1.5 million people on hospital waiting lists. [5] For further information please read the economics paper