And now the real issue

[Doc Spock]

4 pubs per day are closing in Britain.

Are all you non smokers happy and why are you not flooding to the pubs as predicted.


Another nail in the coffin of the remnants of British culture.

[legend004]

Sorry doc.
but pubs sell booze , their fags are extortionate.
and why are weatherspoons profits up since smoking ban then ?

[legend004]

Isnt it the fact pubs are facing stiffercompetition from the big chains like weatherspoons?.
nothing to do with smoking ban.
they say since the smoking ban many drinkers have stopped smoking.
have they also stopped drinking too ?
i think youre being a scamp again doc .

lol

[Doc Spock]

Morning Leg, you are wrong about wetherspooms, their MD was interviewed the other day and he says the impact is affecting them.
I shall find the article.

[Doc Spock]

You cant argue against 4 pubs closing every day.

Wetherspoons buy cheap short date beer in bulk, thats their winner.

[unrulyjulie]

My local is awful these days. Empty most the time. It is a real drinkers pub, a back street place and the majority of locals in there were smokers.
I always said it would have an effect on ther pubs and i think it has.
However as ex smoker i love the clean air but i still think it should be allowed in pubs unless they serve food in which case, fair enough.
No doubt the anti smokers will come and say it hasnt made a difference but thats not what i heard.
I guess this is like anything, if youre a smoker you'll want to smoke in the pub, if youre not, then you'll be glad of the ban. swings and roundabouts Doc.*ersonally when i was a smoker, the best fags of all were with a beer! Im glad i gave it up!
Not so bad no summer is coming up anyway so hopefully trade will pick up a bit. no one minds going out fora ciggie when its warm out there but on days like today, not a lot of fun.

[mccfluff]

the weather doesn't help, we find if its bad the smokers stay in and thats roughly 90% of our trade, the place was dead sat night, the most boring shift ever (

[unrulyjulie]

the whetherspoons in my town is dead too. Has been since they banned it in there before the official ban.

[legend004]

Actually doc weatherspoons stopped smokers a year earlier in scotland and saw profits rise.
isnt it the cheaper cost of supermarket drink to blame?
2 cases of guinesss or other lagers/beers for 16 quid in safeways /asdas i see it on tv

weatherspoons aint that cheap
its not alll about the smoking

[legend004]

well as this report says.
since before the smoking ban
supermarkets were making an impact.
go to any asdas saturday or friday night
full of folk buying booze.
and how many answerbankers are actually out drinking?
not many
most drink at home , not all the time , but a fair amount of the time .

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2005/jan/24 /society.smoking


so business was down before smoking ban .

told ya doc

[legend004]

And lets not forget the effects of second hand smoke
its a real health risk.

[4getmenot]

I drink at home then go up pub later

[unrulyjulie]

there is no denying that the smoking ban has had an effect on trade in pubs! People have always drank at home and that doesnt replace the social side that a pub brings so i dont see that that is the primary reason.Maybe its a combination but you cant say smoking isnt responsible in some way.
Like Doc says, where are all the non smokers who are so delighted with the ban? They sure arent in the pubs.
If i was still smoking i know it would have put me off going.

[4getmenot]

yer now pubs open late its easier to drink at home first and go up later on.

[cazzz1975]

why are you so against non smokers if you are one yourself Doc?

I am a non smoker after giving up and I think its a good thing they have banned smoking in public places, As a non drinker I rarely visit pubs.

Pubs are losing trade because there are a lot of other places in the last 20 years that have opened for people to go to other than a pub like wine bars, coffee houses, resturants and establishments that now have liquor licenses like tenpin bowling, golf clubs, cafes ect

[bobtheturkey]

only time im in a pub is for the occasional bit of grub i really dont see the point in paying to have liver disease

[Doc Spock]

Hi cazzz, not against non smokers just get peed off with holier than thou brigade.

Then they trot roy castle out.

[4getmenot]

I always thought and still do that there should be non smoking pubs and smiking pubs then it is up to the person whether they go in