Traditional boozers will be hammered by outdoor smoking ban, warns industry chief

Traditional 'wet-led' pubs will be hammered by the proposed outdoor smoking ban, an industry chief fears.

confirmed back in August his Labour government is looking into lighting up in certain places including outside nightclubs, restaurant terraces, on pavements by universities and , as well as beer gardens. While no specific bill has been put forward, it is believed ministers will propose restrictions as part of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to accelerate plans to make Britain smoke-free.

But Richard Kershaw, CEO of Manchester's Joseph Holt brewery, which operates 125 inns, said he believed northern pubs would be disproportionately affected. He said: "Don't forget, most northern pubs don't serve a chip, so many of them are wet-only sites.

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"Inevitably, there are going to be more people who are smokers in those pubs than there would be in some of the southern pubs, so it would disproportionately hit businesses in the north, which are the very areas where the Government should be trying to help." Mr Kershaw also called for greater support for struggling watering holes across the UK.

"The trade throughout the whole country is about 10 per cent down on beer sales, compared to where it was pre-Covid," he aded. "So, why would the Government introduce a potential smoking ban in beer gardens, which would be to boot a man when he's already on the floor?"

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Mr Kershaw continued: "It would have a pretty negative effect on our business - it would also be extremely hard to police. If a smoker can just walk out on to the pavement, then can they not carry on smoking? The potential smoking ban is a very odd suggestion and it would be very damaging to us."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: "Smoking claims 80,000 lives a year, puts huge pressure on our and costs taxpayers billions. We are determined to protect children and non-smokers from the harms of second-hand smoking. We're considering a range of measures to finally make Britain smoke-free."

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