Jump to full article: The Publican, 2008-08-01
Author: Pete Robinson
Intro: The answer is hiding in this line from The Publican's news report of Germany's victory: "The situation differs to that in the UK where a total smoking ban covers all public places, meaning a level playing field for all businesses."
When our Trade leaders SHOULD have been fighting against the ban they fought instead for the 'level playing field' - i.e. the blanket ban. With greedy eyes fixated on bogus figures predicting a surge of new business they gambled everything on the 'new opportunity' and lobbied hard for no exemptions whatsoever, e.g. for members clubs.
In so doing they signed their own death warrant. . . .
It's not just our Industry leaders either. We are all to blame - for our appalling apathy and blind faith in doing as we're bloody well told. We naively believed New Labour's 2005 manifesto pledges and never saw the blanket ban being slipped in under the radar. . . .
Contrast that with Germany, where a series of marches saw over 1,000 publicans at a time marching through major cities. Almost every bar raised petitions signed wholesale by their eager customers. Huge numbers put up a standard wall sign outside declaring - "Rauchen in dieser Kneipe" - This is a smoking pub!
. . .
loads of pubs are making a mint now 'cause with all that clean air they attract a better class of customer. We don't want those horrible smokers back, no way.
Have we all gone mad? Allowing ASH to dominate press releases leads to smoking customers believing they are no longer welcome in pubs - and they are blaming you! You might just as well hang a sign above your door saying just that unless you help counter that propaganda.
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