UK: No-bad-language policy accompanies smoking ban

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Landlord says cig ban fear is nothing but a smokescreen

The landlord of Keighley's first no-smoking pub has revealed how the ban -
introduced about six months ago - has boosted trade. Barry Taylor, who
runs the Brown Cow, in Cross Leeds Street, with his wife, Carol, says his
experience is a sign that the pending national smoking ban will not spell
doom for traditional hostelries. The Government is set to introduce
no-smoking rules in public spaces and workplaces from next spring.

The Brown Cow is so far the only one of the 20 pubs owned by award-winning
Keighley brewer Timothy Taylor that is completely non-smoking. Mr and Mrs
Taylor were driven to introduce the ban in March following the death of
Carol's father, aged 75, with a smoking-related lung disease. Mr Taylor,
45, said: "Going no smoking was the best thing we did. "We monitored trade
since then and it is up and we have had a really positive response from
customers. "We are the only no-smoking pub in Keighley and we actually get
people coming in because of it. "We haven't forgotten the smokers and they
can go outside for a drag and sit on a bench we have provided." A survey
of 100 customers revealed that only a small minority was against the ban,
he added.

He and Carol have also introduced a no-bad-language policy, which they say
has also been widely welcomed. The couple have now been mine hosts at the
pub for three years and are celebrating with a cheese and port night at
the premises on November 5. Timothy Taylor is about to launch its second
no-smoking pub when the refurbished White Horse, at Thornton, opens next
month.

The brewery's tied estate manager, Andrew Daykin, said: " Longer term we
are looking at the outside area of all our pubs to ensure our customers
who wish to smoke have somewhere they can do so in as comfortable an
environment as possible." A spokesman for Wetherspoons, which has a pub in
Keighley, said going no-smoking was commercially the right thing to do.
But it is preparing to enhance the outside areas to make them attractive
areas to smokers.

A spokesman for Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT said: "It's extremely
good news that more pubs are moving the smoke-free agenda forward ahead of
next year's ban." The ban will apply to workplaces in which more than one
person works, enclosed spaces such as shopping malls, taxis, pubs,
restaurants and clubs and vehicles used by more than one person.
Individuals who break the smoking ban face a 50 fine and organisations a
hefty 2,500.

http://www.thisisbradford.co.uk/misc/print.php?artid=987772

***********************************************************************************

N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members
and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of
the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a
message are encouraged to post a rebuttal.

***********************************************************************************