Vast majority of Scots 'obey smoking ban'

LONDON - Scots have embraced a ban on smoking in public places, with an almost 100 per cent compliance rate in pubs and bars, according to a survey by Cancer Research UK.

The poll found that 99.4 per cent of premises inspected by council enforcement officers, including pubs, hotels and restaurants across Scotland, complied with the three-month-old ban.

The survey of more than 1000 Scottish adults found 24 per cent were more likely to visit their local pub because of the ban, while 45 per cent said they would go out as often as before.

Only 10 per cent said they were likely to go out less often as a result of the legislation, which bans smoking in enclosed public places.

Jean King, Cancer Research UK's director of tobacco control, said the survey should reassure pub bosses who had feared the ban would damage their trade.

"It mirrors the positive experience of other countries that have already gone smoke free," King said in a statement.

Between March 26, when the ban was introduced, and April 30 council enforcement officers inspected 15,540 pubs, hotels and restaurants across Scotland, and the results showed 15,452 of them were complying with the ban.

Just three fixed penalty notices were issued to premises for allowing smoking, while three were given to individuals for flouting the legislation and smoking in a non-smoking area.

A similar ban is due to take effect in England next summer.

- REUTERS