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Growing support for New York-style smoking ban
A new survey has revealed that there is a growing support across the UK for imposing a New York-style smoking ban in restaurants and bars.
The MORI survey of almost 2,000 respondents around Britain showed that more than half (53 per cent) of British people would rather eat in a smoke free restaurant.
Only 4 per cent of respondents thought there should be no restrictions on smoking in dining venues.
Three-quarters of those interviewed (76 per cent) agreed that waiters and waitresses in cafes and restaurants should be able to work in a smoke-free environment whilst a majority of people - 61 per cent - believe bar staff in pubs should also be allowed to work in a tobacco free atmosphere.
Judith Watt, the head of SmokeFree London, who commissioned the research said: 'The leisure industry is almost certainly missing out on people who find smoky atmospheres unacceptable. A third of all respondents said they'd eat out more often if restaurants were smoke free.'
She added: 'I am also sympathetic to hospitality groups, as they are being deceived by tobacco companies that a smoking ban would be bad for business. Many smokers choose these times to quit and with 70 per cent of smokers wanting to give-up, many welcome smoke-free places.'
JD Wetherspoon does not agree and said it would not support a total ban on smoking in their pubs: 'Between a quarter and a third of each of our establishments are given over to no-smoking areas.
'We feel we've got it just about right as it keeps everyone happy. People want to go to the pub and be able to smoke and a complete ban would almost certainly be the death of pubs.'
Mitchell's and Butler's, the recently demerged retail division of Six Continents, takes a similar view: 'We want to be able to welcome smokers and non-smokers.
'We have improved ventilation and are continuing to increase our non-smoking areas. We have also banned smoking around the bar, which helps to protect staff but we would not support a total ban given that people still want to go the pub and smoke.'