Sly Smokers

Health officials hoped that the lock-in on smoking in clubs and pubs would become self-policing. After new research many pub customers are lighting up during bans. The research on the effectiveness of the ban was introduced in Scotland in March 2006.

Over 18 months, they sent secret observers to 8 pubs to check whether staff and drinkers were keeping to the prohibition. Three pubs were in affluent urban areas, three pubs were in deprived urban areas and two were in poorly-off rural areas. The research found: 1) One of the rural pubs and one each of the other levels of allowed lighting up before the official opening time 2) Bans for smokers going on in both the rural pubs and in one of the deprived urban bars 3) One of the rural bars allows smoking after early closing.

The officials also found a bar allowing older customers to smoke in a cellar when it was raining. Douglas Eadie, of the Centre for Tobacco Control Research at Stirling University, said: “This does make clear that there is a small proportion of premises which are allowing their locals to smoke.”

Sally Haw, of NHS Health Scotland, added: “In the immediate aftermath of the smoking ban there were a large number of inspections, and that has been scaled down somewhat to a lower frequency as people have become used to the change in the law. It was hoped that it would become effectively self-policing and inspections might not be needed. But it’s clear from this that we need to maintain inspections at their current level.” Gordon Greenhill, head of community safety at Edinburgh City Council, stated: “Breaches are few and far between due to the overwhelming support for the legislation in the city. However, we continue to remain vigilant and anyone suspecting a possible breach is urged to contact us.”

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: “Although it is disappointing that there were some instances of non-compliance with the smoking ban in this particular study, we are very pleased that levels of compliance remain very high throughout Scotland.”