Good morning, Wales!
Monday, March 27, 2017 at 11:55 Currently in Cardiff trying to drum up more interest in our Populus poll about smoking rooms in pubs and clubs in Wales.
Wales on Sunday and Wales Online (which are part of the same group) ran the story yesterday (see previous post).
The South Wales Evening Post has reported it today and this morning I was on Jason Mohammad's programme on BBC Radio Wales.
Ironically, having driven to Cardiff from Glasgow yesterday, my offer to go to the BBC Wales studio was declined because they were happy for me to use my hotel landline.
In the event they couldn't get through to my room and I ended up using my mobile phone. I would have got better reception from my office in Cambridge!
Also on the programme was Suzanne Cass, CEO of ASH Wales, still smarting (I would guess) at the fact that Wales on Sunday and Wales Online quoted her counterpart – Deborah Arnott – from ASH (London).
That's what happens when you're unavailable at the weekend!
Suzanne banged on about passive smoking but Jason reminded her (gently) that the issue was about choice, a concept that seems to be alien to ASH, whichever country they're in.
The funniest part was when Jason Mohammad mentioned the lovely family meal he and his children had enjoyed in a smoke-free pub at the weekend.
"Don't get me started about children in pubs," I said. "I've no problem with family-friendly pubs, or gastro pubs, but why can't we have adult only pubs too?"
I paraphrase but Jason's response was something along the lines of:
"Simon Clark doesn't like children in pubs. We'll get emails about that!"
I hope listeners heard me laughing.
Anyway, the programme was getting a lot of calls and texts on the subject so they had to move us on.
To date I've not heard a peep out of the pub industry but that's par for the course. With the exception of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association in Scotland, the various pub bodies were pretty useless at fighting their corner even before the smoking ban.
And we know of course that at least one trade association actively lobbied Tony Blair's government for a comprehensive smoking ban when they heard that private members' clubs might be exempted.
PS. Dick Puddlecote has written a good piece about the Populus poll here – The debate will never be over. Worth reading.
Reader Comments (1)
Smoking bans were imposed through a 'confidence trick'. There was little public support and there is little now. Few are asking to expand bans outdoors other than tobacco control lackeys.