The economic case for smoking
Friday, December 5, 2008 The Christmas party season got off to a good start last night. The champagne was flowing and the hosts had thoughtfully found a Westminster venue with a sheltered garden so people could pop out easily for a smoke.
A fellow guest told me that a luxury central London hotel is currently making £80k a week from its own "Garden Room" which it promotes as "the finest smoking room in all of London". Clearly, there is a market for people who want to smoke in comfort.
Not everyone, however, can afford the upper end of the market. In these difficult economic times, the government must be persuaded that giving pubs and clubs the option of allowing people to smoke (in separate smoking rooms, for example) could be the difference between solvency and bankruptcy.
Reader Comments (9)
You can tell them 'til you're blue in the face, but they just don't listen.
They know that the smoking ban has caused countless closures in the hospitality trade and put thousands on the dole. They're obviously not bothered though.
Bans are being amended all over the place globally because of the economic damage that they have caused. Other countries, at least, have realised that the lobbying in relation to 'bans do no damage to trade' was a downright lie.
I for one have already opted out of my christmas party, along with two-thirds of the people who were invited (non-smokers and smokers). All for one simple reason - no provision for smokers.
If the government doesn't want me to spend, then so be it. I shall take my hard-earned money elsewhere and spend it where I am welcome.
As far as the government is concerned, it's coming across as 'stuff the economic crisis' when dealing with smokers. Fine, if they take that attitude, then so will I, and millions more like me. I'm not spending to get help get them out of a hole. They can rot in it as far as I'm concerned
I and my family have already opted not to spend much if anything this xmas ( I can't cos I'm unemployed ). But there is nothing of quality these days and we're not going to spend money on crap. Besides the decrease in VAT will only benefit me if I decide to buy a plasma screen TV, which I can't afford anyway!
The Lanesborough Hotel has a good smoking area, and I must check it out at sometime. I have been there pre-ban and its reputation for being london's most expensive hotel is well earned. I had barely lit my cigarette and choked on a bill for £20 for two G&Ts. This was about 10 years ago. Fortunately they were large ones and none of this namby-pamby measuring optics.......
Then it was off for a ruby and an offer to help with the washing up to keep the bill down.
www.lanesborough.com/.../garden_room
Well said Mary.
Unfortunately, as part of my job is to organise the Christmas Lunch, I am obliged to attend, but I do make sure I get a taxi on the company account to take me home! I also only stay for the lunch and leave the rest to it if they wish to go on a pub crawl for the rest of the day/evening!
I also agree with all your other sentiments. Well put indeed. Mind you, I have scarcely been out anywhere socially since the ban came in, which is frustrating to my doctors as they are trying their best to help me overcome my depression and anxiety that sky rocketed with the announcement of the smoking ban! Being isolated at home is one of the worst things for people with depression!
Lyn. Being isolated at home is one of the worst causes of depression!
I think that, with the recession, there will be little, rather than more, political leverage to be had in relation to pub closures as they will simply become lost in the general stats.
Far better to hock the country up the yahooie than inject some of the 12 million + smokers' money into the economy. It's not just what is spnt at the pubs & restaurants, it's the taxi/transport the babysitter, the clothes, makeup etc etc that is all part of the cost of socialising - money once going into the economy, now sloshing about in my bank account ready for my next jaunt abroad to sunnier and more tolerant shores - though I see our friends in the EU are now pressing for a harmonised and total EU zone wide ban.......
dunhillbabe, as I think you know, Benidorm is practically my second home. It would be extremely interesting to see what would happen if they tried a blanket ban in all enclosed public places. When Spain introduced their smoking law on 1st January 2006, they gave a choice to small bars to be smoking or non smoking, a few tried non smoking, but most are now smoking bars. The larger places were told they had to have a designated area separated by a perspex screen. The reaction was, Usted debe bromear - you must be joking! The cabaret clubs and bars have no smoking signs up in a designated area, and that is it. In some cases, to quote one of Benidorms comedians, "It didn't work so we took the signs down".
I dont know what this country is coming to honestly and when did hitler enter it we cant walk down the street without being watched we cant leave the country without the goverment knowing when, where and for how long and now they have stopped our right to smoke in pubs etc. I am fuming at the dictatorship who the hell do they think they are. And if what I heard is right about one small city banning takeaways then why dont this goverment take their heads out from their arses and let people have their rights and their choices back and stop treating us like robots. From a very angry robot