Time running out for bars and restaurant says MEP (Liz Lynne)

Time running out for bars and restaurant says MEP

March 24, 2004 2:37 PM

Time is running out for bars and restaurants to provide smoke free areas following today's BBC survey according to West Midlands

Euro-MP Liz Lynne.

A poll for the BBC's NHS day found nearly three quarters of those questioned said they favoured a ban on smoking in public places.

Speaking today the Liberal Democrat MEP said:

"Last year I called for bars and restaurants to be given one last chance to provide smoke free areas. At that time I warned the industry that unless they turn the situation around within a matter of months, the pressure for an outright ban would become irresistible. This poll confirms that the public are running out of patience with the industry. They want to be able to go somewhere for a meal without having to breath in smoke.

"I have spent time examining how the policies of other European countries have worked in practice. The evidence suggests that in a vast majority of cases, properly enforced non-smoking sections do not result in a loss of customers and can even increase business.

"As an asthma sufferer I know how difficult it is to find smoke free restaurants. With doctors now treating 20,000 new cases of asthma each week, it maybe isn't surprising that more people want to find non-smoking areas. Most bus and train Companies now have an outright ban on smoking. It is time restaurants and bars considered taking the same action before the Government decides to intervene."

ENDS

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