 The data has been collected; the results are due for publication on the 27th January 2004, but the Big Smoke Debate rages on.
What exactly do the people of London think about smoking in the city’s enclosed public places such as shopping centres, railway stations, taxis – and, of course, cafés, restaurants, clubs, pubs and bars? That, indeed, is the question posed by the recently established London Health Commission, in the Big Smoke Debate that ran from 28th October to 31st December 2003. The debate gave Londoners a chance to express their opinions, online, and welcomed input from a wide cross section of public opinion.
The London Health Commission launched the initiative amid a flurry of facts and figures about the devastating impact on non-smokers of passive smoking in public places. In addition, a Smoking Fact Sheet was issued to coincide with the duration of the Big Smoke Debate. It reminded participants, for instance that, “There are around two million people in London who smoke. Many millions more are affected by passive smoking, which can cause many of the same diseases as active smoking, for example, lung cancer and heart disease”. Other dire warnings included, “What you can see or smell is a small fraction of the emissions from a cigarette – 85% is in the form of invisible, odourless gases, which are not filtered by conventional ventilation systems…”
So, where does that leave the owners of London’s pubs, bars, cafés and restaurants? Clearly, the Big Smoke Debate has raised fundamental moral, as well as commercial issues, which cannot be swept underneath the hospitality trade’s cigarette-burn resistant carpets!
The stub of the issue is whether pubs and restaurants, which are essentially venues visited by adults for the purpose of entertainment, should be lumped together with other enclosed places frequented by the general public.
Now, there are those who argue that pubs, bars and eating establishments are actually private places that allow public access. Viewed from this angle, one might argue that those who enter a place of entertainment do so of their own volition. Should they not, therefore, be allowed the freedom of choice as to whether they expose themselves to the dangers of passive smoking? And, even the most vehement of smokers (and non-smokers) who enjoy pubbing, clubbing and dining, on a regular basis, have been known to voice such an opinion.
Likewise, should restaurateurs and pub landlords be allowed the freedom to choose a smoking or non-smoking policy that is appropriate for their establishment? Or, should they be forced to acknowledge the health warnings associated with doing business in a smoke-polluted environment? There are many proprietors and customers, alike, who would agree that, when it comes to a blanket policy for places of adult entertainment, the issues are not so clear-cut.
Further, should a distinction be drawn between public eating places and those “drinks-only” establishments, such as pubs, clubs and bars that do not serve food? After all, it is becoming increasingly unacceptable, nowadays, for diners, even in no-smoking areas of a restaurant, to be forced to endure cigarette smoke wafting in their direction and spoiling their meal.
This, then, is perhaps the way forward for London’s hospitality industry – to create smoke-free public eating places that will protect the dining public from exposure to passive smoking. And, arguably, those who choose to smoke and/or drink in smoke-filled drinking environments should be left to their own devices.
But, if popular opinion in cities around the globe is anything to go by, London can soon look forward to a healthier future, with the implementation of across-the-board, smoke-free legislation that applies to all enclosed public places, including pubs, clubs, bars and restaurants.
A breath of fresh air is about to be unleashed on “ordinary Londoners”.
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