Anniversary poll reveals what different age groups think about smoking in pubs

Today is the 15th anniversary of the introduction of the smoking ban in England.

The tenth anniversary, on July 1, 2017, attracted quite a lot of publicity because the anti-smoking lobby wanted to boast about how 'popular' it had been.

In response Forest published a report by Rob Lyons that highlighted the devastating impact of the ban on Britain’s pubs.

Using hospitality industry data, Road To Ruin: The impact of the smoking ban on pubs and personal choice, revealed that no fewer than 11,000 pubs – one fifth of the entire pub estate in 2007 – had closed since the introduction of the ban.

We have never claimed that every closure was a direct result of the ban because there were clearly other issues involved.

It was however a significant factor and combined with previous research that demonstrated a clear link between pub closures in the immediate aftermath of smoking bans in Ireland (2004), Scotland (2006), Wales (2007) and England (2007), no-one should dispute the devastating impact the ban had on urban inner city pubs in particular although many have tried.

On the tenth anniversaries of the bans in Scotland, Wales and England Forest also conducted a series of opinion polls in which we invited respondents to answer the following question:

Do you think pubs and private members' clubs, including working men's clubs, should or should not be allowed to provide a well-ventilated designated smoking room to accommodate smokers?

In March 2016 a Populus poll of 1,000 adults in Scotland found that 54 per cent of the public would allow smoking rooms, with two fifths (40 per cent) opposed to the idea. The rest said ‘Don’t know’.

In March 2017 a similar poll in Wales found that 58 per cent of adults would allow smoking rooms, with only 37 per cent opposed.

Three months later, in June 2017, a GB-wide poll (the majority of respondents being in England) found that 48 per cent of adults would allow smoking rooms in pubs with 42 per cent against.

Three polls and every time more people voted for smoking rooms than against and on two occasions the result was clear and decisive.

I mention this because last week Forest commissioned another GB-wide poll (of 2,000 adults) that asked exactly the same question about allowing smoking rooms in pubs and private members’ clubs and this time we got a rather different result that I can’t deny was a little disappointing:

Should be allowed – 36%
Should not be allowed – 52%
Don't know – 12%

Clearly, and there’s no hiding this, there has been a significant drop in the number of people who think that designated smoking rooms should be allowed in pubs and clubs, but that's inevitable I suppose with the passing of time.

If for example you were 16-18 in 2007 and you are now 31-33 the odds are you have never experienced a pub where people are smoking indoors so it might be expected that among the younger generation (18-34) an increasing number of people are opposed to smoking rooms because that's what they're used to.

That’s the theory at least but is it borne out by the poll?

I’ve dug a little deeper and for each age group the response to the question about allowing designated smoking rooms in pubs and private members' clubs was as follows:

18-24
Should be allowed – 37%
Should not be allowed – 48%
Don't know – 15%

25-34
Should be allowed – 43%
Should not be allowed – 43%
Don't know – 14%

35-44
Should be allowed – 38%
Should not be allowed – 52%
Don't know – 11%

45-54
Should be allowed – 38%
Should not be allowed – 49%
Don't know – 13%

55-64
Should be allowed – 31%
Should not be allowed – 61%
Don't know – 8%

65+
Should be allowed – 30%
Should not be allowed – 59%
Don't know – 10%

What stands out is that it's the younger generation that is more supportive of allowing designated smoking rooms.

The 25-34 age group is equally divided – 43% think smoking rooms should be allowed, with 43% against.

In the youngest age group (18-24) fewer than half (48%) are opposed to smoking rooms but there is also a large number of 'don't knows' so only 37% voted in favour.

Of the six age groups only two (55-64 and 65+) demonstrate clear opposition to smoking rooms in pubs, with a third (35-44) voting 52% against (just over half) with 38% in favour and the rest 'don't knows'.

In other words, and against my expectations, it's the older age groups that seem most resistant to designated smoking rooms.

Taking the results as a whole it's also worth mentioning that 15 years after the smoking ban was introduced over a third of all adults would STILL allow well-ventilated smoking rooms in pubs and clubs, and only a little over half (52%) think they should NOT be allowed.

As someone who voted for Brexit it would be hypocritical of me to dismiss 52% as inconclusive, especially when the percentage in favour is 'only' 36%.

Nevertheless, given that the smoking rate in England is currently 14% (or one in seven of the adult population), it's clear that it's not only smokers who are still on board with the idea of smoking rooms.

In reality, sadly, smoking in pubs and clubs is not going to return any time soon, if ever, and we probably have to accept it and move on because there are bigger battles ahead, including full scale prohibition.

I am heartened though that 15-16 years after smoking was banned in pubs and private members' clubs there is still substantial support for designated smoking rooms.

In this job you have to take whatever encouragement you can so it's good to know that while Forest may represent a minority it's still a sizeable minority and contrary to popular opinion the younger generation may be more liberal than I gave them credit for.

Judging from this poll it's the older generations we have to worry about!