Pubs in Scotland for non smokers

[Craig Cockburn]

I love smoke free.

A Valentine's posting marking today's vote in the house of commons. This
has been an occasional post to the above groups, but after next month
this information will become redundant. To mark that and today's vote in
the house of commons, I have attached some history on this campaign at
the end.

Craig

Posted to:
rec.food.drink.beer, soc.culture.scottish, rec.travel.europe,
soc.culture.british, scot.general, uk.food+drink.real-ale,
ed.general

Scottish pubs which cater for non smokers
=========================================
Author: Craig Cockburn
E-mail: ***@siliconglen.com
WWW: http://www.siliconglen.com
This list is available on the web at
http://www.siliconglen.com/fooddrink/pubsfornonsmokers.html

First published 1993
Last updated 24 November 2005

Historic Announcement
=====================
On 10th November 2004, the Scottish Executive announced there is to
be a comprehensive ban on smoking in public places in Scotland. A
historic announcement indeed (that's *an* historic announcement for
those of you in England!)


More details
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3999975.stm
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2004/11/10144025

After 15 years of arguing the case, I am delighted.

As a result, this list will happily become redundant as there will be no
need to have a special list for non smokers once the relevant
legislation
takes force, on 26th March 2006. From that date, every pub and
bar will be a pub for non smokers, as well as the majority of smokers
who wish to give up their addiction.

The smoking ban is not so extensive in England, however Wetherspoons
have announced they will be banning smoking in all their pubs.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4201053.stm

Note
----
No reliability is assumed for any of the information here, as the
author has been unable to verify each place individually. You should
check first what facilities are available before going. I have excluded
establishments which are not generally open to the public unless you
attend an event there, i.e. theatres, cinemas, etc. Most of those
pubs and bars have some sort of provision for non-smokers and some are
entirely smoke free. (The Queen's Hall in Edinburgh is mostly smoke
free and although there is physical separation of smokers and
non-smokers, the smoky air often drifts into the non-smoking area).
Proprietors take note! I don't want a non-smoking area - I want a
Smoke-Free area!! Smoking isn't the problem - SMOKE is the problem!!

Sources of information
----------------------
The Good Beer Guide, Published by the Campaign for Real Ale.
(CAMRA) 13.99. There are over 270 pubs out of the 5,000 in the 1995
guide marked as having a no-smoking area. Since surveying was started
in 1992, the number of pubs with this symbol has increased by at least
25% each year.

Eat, Sleep and Drink Smoke Free (92/93 editions)
Published by Headway Books, Birch Hagg House, Low Mill, York,
YO6 6XJ Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] 7 pounds 95

The 1993 Good Pub Guide (Edbury Press), formerly published by
The Consumers' Association. Has a special section at the back on
no-smoking bars in the UK.

Pints of View: The newsletter of Edinburgh and South East
Scotland CAMRA

..and contributions from the Internet

The List
========

Borders
-------
Selkirk: Tibbie Shiels Inn, Tel: [phone]
Swinton: The Wheatsheaf Hotel, Tel: [phone]

Central
-------
Dollar: Strathallan Hotel, Tel: [phone]

Dumfries and Galloway
---------------------
Dumfries: Station Hotel, Tel: [phone]

Fife
----
Kettlebridge: Kettlebridge Inn, Tel: [phone]

Grampian
--------
Belvedere Hotel, Evan Street, Stonehaven
(01569 762672)

Highland
--------
Inverness: Glenruidh House, Tel: [phone]
Kingussie: Royal Hotel, Tel: [phone]
Ullapool: The Ceilidh Place, Tel: [phone]
(three pubs for 350,000 people ! That's about 60,000 non-smoking
adults per pub!! Does anyone see a market opportunity here?)

Lothian
-------

Entirely smoke free
-------------------
The Black Swan in Leith
address
Black Swan, 23 Sandport Pl, Edinburgh,

Lauriston Farm Brewers Fayre
The first pub in Scotland to impose a complete ban on smoking.

The White Hart in Grassmarket is now operating as a non-smoking pub.

So too is the Sheep Heid in Duddingston.

No-smoking areas
----------------
Edinburgh (Central): The Filmhouse has a cafe/bar which is
open to non-patrons, serves food and beer and has a small
non-smoking area. However the beer is well overpriced.
The Filmhouse is at 88 Lothian Road. Tel: [phone]

The Hogshead in Edinburgh has a no-smoking zone at the back and also
has a very good ventilation system throughout. You have to be sitting
right next to someone to notice their smoke.
Address: 30-32 Bread Street, Tel: [phone]

The Standing Order, at 62 George St (near Frederick St) has a
large non-smoking room. Tel: [phone]. Part of the Wetherspoon
chain (See end for details)

The Black Bull in the Grassmarket (no. 12) has a few no smoking
tables near the front of the building on the left hand side.
Tel: [phone]

Edinburgh (Newhaven):
The Old Chain Pier
http://www.oldchainpier.co.uk/
Has a separate refurbished non-smoking room, no smoking at the bar
area and no smoking on the mezzanine/top deck bar area. It also has a
new
ventilation system that will clear smoke out of the one remaining
smoking
area plus new management focussed on providing a non-smoky environment.


Edinburgh (Surgeon's Hall): The Festival Theatre. 0131-529 6000.
Real Ale, no smoking allowed at all. The bar is at the front and you
don't have to be attending a performance to have a drink there.

Leadburn: Leadburn Inn (West Linton). Tel: [phone]

Lothianburn: The Steading. Tel [phone]
(no-smoking restaurant which converts into a no-smoking
drinking area when the meals trade dies down, usually after 9pm)

Newtongrange: The Dean Tavern. It has no non-smoking area, but the
main bar is enormous - the biggest in Scotland for most of the
20th century - and with a very high pitched ceiling, smoke just
goes straight up. If it's absolutely packed there'll be a problem
but it's so big that hardly ever happens. (This is NOT the case for
the smaller rooms).

Penicuik: Craigiebield House Hotel (50 Bog Road). Tel: [phone]

Queensferry: Hawes Inn Hotel, Tel: [phone]
(no-smoking family room until 9pm, smoking is allowed after 9pm).
Also in Queensferry, the Two Bridges hotel has a
bar/restaurant with a non smoking area.


Further info on Lothian:

The "Edinburgh for Under Fives" book is a good source of info
on smoke-free establishments (licenced and otherwise).
http://www.edinburghforunderfives.co.uk/
However, this book is exceptionally difficult to get, which
clearly undermines the value of publication somewhat.

Strathclyde
-----------
Ayr: Chestnuts Hotel. Tel: [phone]

Glasgow: Boswell Hotel, 27, Mansionhouse Rd, Langside
Tel: [phone]

The Counting House, recently opened in an grand old Bank of Scotland
building on the corner of George Square and St Vincent Place, has a
number of sizeable, well-labelled non-smoking areas. It also has clear
signs saying "No smoking at the bar". It is a free house, part of the
Wetherspoon chain.
2 St.Vincent Place, Glasgow, G1 2DH
Tel: [phone]

Glasgow: The Clockwork Beer Co. Tel [phone]
1153/55 Cathcart Road, Glasgow G42 9HB
Fax - 0141-649-0643
Free house brew pub managed by Robin and Gay Graham formerly of the
Boswell Hotel.The Pub has a large family area which is non smoking
and serves food all day. Extensive range of real ale, guest beers,
ciders and imports.

Also part of the Wetherspoons chain, the James Stirling Maxwell pub
has opened in Shawlands arcade in Glasgow and has a no smoking area.
Phone?

Also The Hogshead at the junction of Woodlands Road and Eldon Street.
Follow Woodlands Road north from Charing Cross; it's right in front
of you when you get to the mini-roundabout. Grid reference NS575667
as far as I can make out. Phone?

Kilmarnock: Hunting Lodge, Tel: [phone]
Paisley (Glasgow Airport): Tap and Spile, Tel: [phone]

Tayside
-------
Broughty Ferry: Old Anchor Inn, Tel [phone] (no-smoking area
is only at lunchtimes)
Dundee: Speedwell Bar, Tel: [phone]
Kinesswood: Lomond Country Inn, Tel: [phone]
Kinross: Kirklands Hotel, Tel: [phone]
Montrose: George Hotel, Tel: [phone]


Non-smokers' organisations
==========================

ASH (Action on Smoking and Health)
----------------------------------
ASH (Action on Smoking and Health)
8 Frederick Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2HB
Tel: [phone]
E-mail: ***@dial.pipex.com
http://www.ashscotland.org.uk/

ASH's London office is at
102 Clifton Street,
London
EC2A 4HW.
http://www.ash.org.uk/
Tel [phone]
Fax [phone]
e-mail: ***@dial.pipex.com


ANSR (Association for Non-Smokers' Rights)
------------------------------------------
ANSR (Association for Non-Smokers' Rights)
Melgund Centre, Melgund Terrace, Edinburgh, EH7 4BU
Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]
E-mail: ***@compuserve.com


Pub chains/groups with no-smoking policies
==========================================

Wetherspoons
------------
All their pubs have no-smoking areas. This change was supported
by 61% of the smoking customers and over 70% of the non-smoking
customers. Contact: 01923 477 777

Wetherspoons also have pubs in other parts of England and Scotland.
They have about 30 pubs in Scotland, including Glasgow and Edinburgh
See http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/
You can search for their pubs there by map, placename or postcode.
They also have a special search for pubs that allow children.

Wetherspoons are a huge success, the fastest growing company in the
UK and the 9th fastest in Europe, and given the substantial
financial success they are having, it is rather a suprise that t
heir policy of good cheap beer, good food, no jukeboxes and of
course a smoke free area hasn't caught on at all amongst the
other dinosaurs of the brewing industry. Maybe the other chains
should be renamed cancer centres or public pollution places?
Publicans wondering what effect a smoke free area would have on their
business should read this report:
http://www.ash.org.uk/html/press/021121a.html
"95% of proprietors surveyed would recommend no-smoking policies to
similar businesses."
"Trade was seen to increase or not change in 90% of bars, pubs and
restaurants and the majority of respondents were very happy with
the business impact."

Youngs (London)
---------------
Has had no-smoking areas in its city centre pubs for many years.
Contact:
Young & Co.'s Brewery plc,
The Ram Brewery,
Wandsworth,
London SW18 4JD
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
http://www.youngs.co.uk/


Other information
=================

Surveys
-------
The Consumers' Association reported in January 1988 that no-smoking
areas was the most wanted change in Scottish pubs. A separate survey
pointed out it was also the most wanted change in English and Welsh
pubs.

NOP found in July 1987 that non-smokers would visit pubs more often if
pubs provided smoke free areas.

Legislation
-----------
Edinburgh District Council announced in August 1993 that it was going
to be the first council in the UK to prosecute pubs which were too
smoky (they have at their disposal both the Health and Safety at Work
Act and the common law Duty of Care).

The new Scottish parliament, http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/,
seems to be taking more of an interest in tackling the problem of
smoking in public places than Westminster ever did. After all,
the proportion of Scots who smoke is about 1/3 more than for
England (33% vs 25%), however this didn't stop Westminster
ignoring the issue and talking out bills. In Scotland though,
Hugh Henry Grant MSP sits on the parliament's Health Committee as
well as the subcommittee on tobacco and announced Summer 99 that
he wanted to see legislation to restrict smoking in public places.
We look forward to something being done (for a change). Stewart
Maxwell MSP has also recently introduced a bill to ban smoking
where food is served. The Scottish Executive also seems very keen
on a ban after having a public consultation on the matter and
receiving far more correspondence on this than any other consultation
to date.

More info on legislation to introduce a ban on smoking in public places
in Scotland here:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2004/11/10144025


-----------------------------------------
The history

A campaign I've been involved with across the UK for over 15 years

How I began a campaign, Summer 1990
http://groups.google.co.uk/group/soc.culture.british/msg/f46f0c3bb4160919

Then the papers
http://groups.google.co.uk/group/soc.culture.british/msg/d70151e6976c01cd

Then the Good Beer Guide, 1991
http://groups.google.co.uk/group/alt.beer/msg/dbeebf2eb0753844?

April 93. Wrote to Heathrow Airport asking for a non smoking area in the
bar. They wrote back having implemented it.

August 93, wrote article for "Pints of View" the Edinburgh Camra branch
newsletter.

September 93, got letter campaigning for smoke free areas in pubs
published in the Scotsman. This was picked up by the STV programme
"Scottish Action".

October 1993. Got smoking advertising banned from the Mod programme
after writing a letter "Killer Mod" to the West Highland Free press (7th
October). This was subsequently syndicated across the Scottish press
under the title of "smoking out whisky in at the Mod". That saw an end
to "Reg on Smoking - I smoke 'em because my name's on 'em". Looking back
the idea of promoting smoking at a festival for singers and children
does seem very dated.

and the Scotsman, 1996
http://www.siliconglen.com/craig/announce.html
(first hint at legislation coming)

and The BBC
http://tinyurl.com/apey5

Decided the time for no smoking areas had passed and it was now time for
smoke free indoors.

So then Stewart Maxwell MSP's private members bill, May 2004.
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/committees/health/inquiries/ro
s/he04-smo-054.htm

30th June 2004.
Input to the executive consultation on a smoking ban

My background is that I have been campaigning at a UK level for more
smoke free areas in pubs since 1990. I have spent 3 years working in
pubs and have many years experience of promoting Scotland to tourists. I
have sat on the ASH Scotland expert panel on smoking in public places.
Even as long ago as 1990 it was clear this was a long overdue change
with the polling organisation NOP finding in July 1987 that non-smokers
would visit pubs more often if pubs provided smoke free areas. The
Consumer's Association reported in Jan 1988 that smoke free areas were
the most wanted change in Scottish pubs. A separate survey also
indicated it was the top desired change for pubs in England and Wales.
Having campaigned for the introduction in 1992 of a "smoke free" symbol
in the Good Beer Guide for pubs with a smoke free area, I have seen the
numbers of such pubs grow, yet they remain a disappointingly small
proportion of the total.

16 years have now elapsed since the Consumers Association survey, yet
little has changed as regards pubs and smoking. The only notable
exception is the highly successful Wetherspoon chain which has a smoke
free area in every pub, if only other chains had been similarly
enlightened.

I was originally of the view that separate smoking and non smoking areas
were the way forward, however 14 years of campaigning have taught me
otherwise and now I favour a ban in all public places, the reasons are
as follows.

1. The creation of "no smoking" areas is not enough. It is not smoking
that is the problem, it is smoke. It is not a no smoking area that I
seek when I am out, but a no smoke area. Many is the time I have been
out with my wife and children (current ages 6 months; 2 years and 4
years) and found a non smoking seat only to find smoke drifting over.
This hasn't been limited to pubs either but has included the cafes in
shopping centres in Livingston, Stirling and Dunfermline and the
restaurant of Sainsbury's Blackhall in Edinburgh. I do not consider it
acceptable to expose very young children a few months old to unfiltered
second hand smoke when doing essential shopping. I also do not consider
it acceptable that they should see people smoking or become acclimatised
to the smell in any way as this could make the habit more appealing as
they grow older. I am very much of the view that anywhere that children
are permitted, smoking must be completely banned. This certainly covers
cafes, restaurants and pubs with children's certificates.

2. The Health and Safety Act and the Common Law Duty of Care both
require that workplaces be safe. Clearly this covers employees who work
in pubs and other places where food is served. As former bar-staff
myself, I do not accept that I should not need to accept a workplace
where there is in an increased risk of contracting lung cancer through
secondary smoking. The majority of us now enjoy smoke free workplaces
and employees where food is served deserve no less. The Froggatt Report,
Mar 1988 (Independent Scientific Committee on Smoking and Health)
concluded that there is a 10-30% increased risk of developing lung
cancer if you are a non-smoker exposed to other people's smoke. It is
unacceptable, especially given Scotland's poor record on health, that
there are still substantial numbers of employees spending many hours per
week in places where cancer inducing chemicals in the air are considered
by their employers to be normal and acceptable. If this was any other
toxic substance we would not be having this debate, a ban would have
been put into place long ago already.

3. Having the current voluntary approach is no longer working nor making
significant headway. It has simply created a small minority of pubs with
no smoking (rather than no smoke) areas. This allows other pubs to just
continue as before.

4. There are significant economic benefits as well as health benefits to
having a ban where food is served, as ASH reports here:

http://www.ash.org.uk/html/factsheets/pubplacechron.htm

"A Shropshire publican reports that turnover has increased by a third
since a ban on smoking was introduced 18 months ago." By catering for
the non smoking majority rather than the smoking minority, pubs and
restaurants can widen their customer base and appeal to more customers.
This not only means that if we want to eat as a family we will have more
choice besides McDonald's, Burger King, Tesco and Pizza Hut. Instead, we
will be able to choose from small independent cafes, from bars catering
for children and from more local owner managed businesses rather than
large chains. There is also a benefit for tourism, especially from North
American tourists, who in 2002 spent 294 million pounds in the Scottish
economy.

reference:
http://www.scotexchange.net/know_your_market/tis5.htm

These visitors, used to smoking bans in their own countries, expect no
less when they come here and with other countries (Ireland and Norway)
already with bans in place, Scottish Tourism will lose out if visitors
consider Scotland to be dirty and smelly in comparison to alternative
destinations. One need only look to these countries to note that the
early evidence is very much that the smoking ban has not lived up to the
scare mongering of being bad for business.

I quote from the Irish example:
"The research indicates the number of non-smokers visiting pubs and bars
has increased slightly since the introduction of the new law, while the
number of smokers has remained the same."
Reference:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3763471.stm

I also note that the Health Secretary Alan Milburn supports a smoking
ban and considers the bans
in New York and Ireland to be "huge successes"

References: http://www.sundayherald.com/42390
and http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=663&id=617382004

I close with the following recent quotes from the BBC website which
hopefully emphasis the argument from an independent point of view:

"The scientific evidence is now clear. We need clear legislation which
prevents smoking in the workplace and in enclosed public places. The
time for excuses and half measures is gone."
"In the UK, passive smoking is estimated to be responsible for 1,000
deaths each year."
"More than three-quarters of people questioned for a BBC poll want a ban
on smoking in public places in Scotland."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3507985.stm

With so many countries now with smoking bans, do we want to be left as
the smoking capital of Europe?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/3758707.stm

I trust this information will help to convince you of the need and
benefits of a smoking ban


and the news:

10th November 2004
Scottish Executive announces smoking will be banned in all public places
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2004/11/10144025

14th February 2006
Smoking to be banned in all pubs and clubs in England, where I began the
campaign
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4709258.stm
Ban to take effect from Summer 2007

By the time England gets the ban, it will have taken nearly 20 years
from when the Which survey was published in January 1988 saying that no
smoking areas was the most wanted change in English and Welsh pubs (and
a separate survey put it top of the most wanted change in Scotland).

26th March 2006
Smoking in public places in Scotland becomes illegal, the preceding list
will become redundant.

with that I now turn my attention to defeating spam, a campaign that
many have said is also difficult or impossible. See my signature links
for more info.

[!Speedy Gonzales!]

Post by Craig Cockburn
I love smoke free.

You forgot the 'BURGH', used to be Findlays off St Andre Square. Been
completely non-smoking for a while now. I think it claimed to be the first
in Edinburgh!?!

[J Wexler]

Post by Craig Cockburn
Lothian
-------
Leadburn: Leadburn Inn (West Linton). Tel: [phone]

What a pity it didn't enjoy its due reward - "no smoke, without fire".

JW