Smoking ban one year one: more quitters; decreasing pub sales

The smoking ban in England, introduced a year ago, has dramatically increased the number of people giving up the habit, it is claimed. A survey suggests more than 400,000 people quit smoking as a result of the smoking ban. Researchers say this could potentially help save as many as 40,000 lives in the next 10 years. BBC News

More information from ASH.

Meanwhile, beer and spirit sales have been hit hard by the smoking ban, according to market analysts Nielsen. Around 175 million fewer pints have been drunk in the last year as a direct result of the ban according to the research. In the nine months from July to March volume sales of alcohol in the on-trade in England and Wales fell eight per cent – before the ban the rate was falling at three per cent.

With other factors such as the credit crunch also being taken into account Nielsen estimates that half of the eight per cent drop can be attributed to the ban. Jake Shepherd, marketing director at Nielsen, said: “The winter months were particularly bad – sales fell 9.3 per cent through November to January when smokers would have been reluctant to stand outside in the cold to have a cigarette.”  The Publican