Popular Blogger Speaks Out Against Smoking Ban

Tuesday, March 29th, 2011 - Emily W

Mark Daniels, blogger for the popular website The Publication and pub owner, has taken a stand on the issue of the UK’s current smoking ban. The government has recently announced that they ban has had no clear negative impact on the hospitality industry, but Daniels finds the statement to be insulting. 

Restaurants and hotels have not seen a severe decline in customers since the ban was enacted in 2007, and studies seem to only quote statistics concerning these two types of venues. However, Daniels notes that bingo halls and other gaming centres have seen such a massive decline in players that many have been forced to close over the past three years. 

He states that customers shouldn’t be the ones to blame for the closure of bingo halls. They did what they could to continue smoking as they please while taking part in their favourite leisure activities, including logging on to online bingo websites rather than going to land-based bingo halls. 

He has found the same response to the ban among former customers at his pub. Most of his patrons have taken to staying home and drinking with their friends rather than going out to pubs, where they would be prohibited. 

Politicians, however, stand firm by the UK smoking ban and show no signs of lifting it.