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Proposed smoking ban could mean 'extinction' for pubs - and 'booze could be next'

EXCLUSIVE: Following the 2007 indoor smoking ban, there was a 6.4% jump in the closure rate of pubs in the UK, and now it is feared the latest restriction could have a similar effect

[PM Keir Starmer has said he is focused on improving public health ]

PM Keir Starmer has said he is focused on improving public health (Image: Getty Images)

British pubs are under the cosh at the moment and now further misery has been heaped on the sector following the announcement of a possible smoking ban.

Industry experts and insiders have now warned that the potential laws could see an escalation in pub closures and that booze bans could be next.

The British Beer and Pub Association has claimed that the ban could claim an additional 800 venues across the country in the next five years thats roughly three per week.

READ MORE: 'Gen Z snowflakes' surprise the nation by falling in love with 'old man' boozers - EXCLUSIVE

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Following the 2007 indoor smoking ban, there was a 6.4% jump in the closure rate of pubs in the UK, and now it is feared the latest restriction could have a similar effect. The trade body has said that if that same number of pubs were to close we would lose 2,700 over the next five years compared to the expected 2,100.

[Dave Law spoke about the possible impact the move could have ]

Dave Law spoke about the possible impact the move could have (Image: Harry Thompson )

Dave Law runs the Eagle Ale House in Clapham, London, which is well-known in the area for, among other things, its bustling beer garden.

But he has warned beyond the ban on smoking and the impact it could have on the pub trade, it also sets a dangerous precedent for bans on things in the future like booze.

I also suspect that if this is the road they are set on, it will be beer and alcohol next, he warned.

Going into further detail about the impacts of the smoking ban, he told The Daily Star: As with all things it will depend on your venue. But I would say this is the last thing Pubs need overall.

After having had the disaster of the Lockdowns, to then be hit with the huge energy cost hikes, and the population in general, having their leisure spend hit by the ongoing cost of living crisis, a ban like this will be a very hard kick in the teeth for many already struggling pubs.

[The news has already proven controversial (file) ]

The news has already proven controversial (file) (Image: Getty Images)

He feels that the move would be hard to enforce and a move in the wrong direction for the sector. The industry needs support, not an unnecessary, and difficult-to-police ban that will ultimately end up pushing smokers to stay at home and smoke, rather than visit pubs at such a crucial time, he said. I think banning smoking around kids is an obvious good for society, but how will they manage people smoking around their kids at home?

I cant see how expecting Publicans to Police politicians social experiments at a time like this, will be well received, and publicans have access to a lot of people, they can be opinion formers and influencers.

Warnings about the danger the move could have on the industry have been widespread. Hospitality UK chair Kate Nicholls warned: A ban on smoking in outdoor spaces comes with the prospect of serious economic harm to hospitality venues.

You only have to look to the significant closures we saw after the indoor smoking ban to see the potential impact it could have.

[British pubs are facing a closure crisis ]

British pubs are facing a closure crisis (Image: Getty Images)

This ban would not only affect pubs and nightclubs, but hotels, cafes and restaurants that have all invested significantly in good faith in outdoor spaces and continue to face financial challenges.

But speaking about the possibility of introducing the ban Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: My starting point on this is to remind everybody that over 80,000 people lose their lives every year because of smoking.

Yes, we are going to take decisions in this space, more details will be revealed, but this is a preventable series of deaths and weve got to take action to reduce the burden on the NHS and the taxpayer.

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