Under pressure

After four years of the smoking ban experiment in Scotland the MSM have now, finally, woke up to the carnage that the ban has caused in the hospitality industry there, (and here in England one hopes.)

MINISTERS were yesterday urged to review the smoking ban after new figures revealed more than 700 pubs in Scotland have been forced to call time.
Scotland was the first part of the UK to bring in legislation outlawing smoking in enclosed public places such as pubs, clubs and restaurants.


But new research has shown 11 per cent of pubs in Scotland have closed down since the ban was introduced in March 2006.

Most libertarian bloggers have written about the decimation of pubs and clubs in this country, like Dick Puddlecote, Christopher Snowden, Belinda Cunnison at Freedom2Choose Scotland’s blog and Taking Liberties to name but a few.
The normally docile (to the smoking ban) MP’s are, at last, recognising that the smoking ban was, and still is, the main reason that the hospitality industry, especially the pubs and clubs, is on their knees financially.

But just as loud as the clamour by ministers for an amendment to the Smoking Ban Experiment the mendacious pronouncements of the doom laden anti smoking brigade are just as pronounced:

Supporters of the ban, including NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde and the Scottish Government, said the ban has helped people stop smoking and led to a significant improvement in the health of Scots.

Oh really? That’s not what it says in this study researching data from a survey in 2003:

Around 97.5% of Scots are likely to be cigarette smokers, heavy drinkers, physically inactive, overweight or have a poor diet, researchers from Glasgow University found after studying data from 6,574 participants in the Scottish Healthy Survey of 2003. […]

[…] "That is why it is we have already taken significant action on alcohol and smoking, encouraging active living and healthy eating and promoting positive mental health and will continue to do so."

So it’s working then, the smoking ban, is it, eh?

And of course there would be no show without Punch, would there?

Sheila Duffy, of anti-smoking charity ASH Scotland, said: “There’s absolutely no evidence that the smoking ban is responsible for an increase in the closure of pubs but there is plenty of evidence that Scotland is a healthier nation for having smoke-free public places.”

Or Judy:

A Scottish Government spokeswoman defended the ban and said: “It was introduced to protect the health of thousands of bar workers from second-hand smoke and has been a resounding success.


“The reasons for pubs closing are complex and far more significant factors are at play.”

They will not be told, the truth irks them into even more mirth making mendacity. I think they are under pressure, after all, there’s a lot of money at stake!