Students end smoking ban after university bar sales slump

The Daily Telegraph ^ | 10/03/2004 | Paul Stokes

[ijcr]

A students' union is lifting its new restrictions on smoking after losing more than £26,000 in bar takings in 13 days.

Leeds University union imposed a ban on lighting up in its buildings before 7pm for a month-long trial. It runs five bars and three nightclubs across three sites and provides entertainment for about 33,000 students.

The ban came into force on Feb 16 with smoking forbidden through the night in The Terrace bar and part of The Old Bar on the Leeds campus. The nightclubs were unaffected.

Almost 100 complaints were received from smokers, but officials were finally persuaded to call off the ban by market forces.

Tom Wong, LUU communications officer, said yesterday: "There has been a substantial impact on our bars. Sales have been down by roughly a third. Due to this the trial ban will now be lifted on March 16.

"It is regrettable that the trial was not a success, but as the only venue in the city banning smoking it was difficult for us to maintain trading levels."

The union is a registered charity and its profits are used to benefit students by funding a range of societies and activities.

Comparison between bar takings for the 13 days before and the 13 days after the ban showed the Old Bar alone lost £15,547, or 36 per cent of its sales.

Mr Wong said: "Although we are one of the biggest student unions in the country and can absorb the cost, it hasn't proved good business sense.

"A lot of people use the bars in the afternoon to meet friends and have a pint. Obviously people are going into the town centre now where they can smoke as well. We never expected it to have this much of an impact."

Undergraduates believed the trial had not worked because it denied people freedom of choice. Jennifer Welch, 19, a first-year history of art student from Stratford, said: "Banning people smoking is not going to stop them smoking, it's just going to force them to move elsewhere."

[ijcr]

The place will be filled by non-smokers and there will be no financial loss.

[Wright is right!]

I want to see how long the smoking ban in Ireland's pubs lasts.

Michael

[chance33_98]

Ping

[Mr. Bird]

The powers that be are pushing this in Baltimore. Anyone who knows this town understands that the corner bar is a neighborhood institution. They also know that they are filled with smokers.

The corner bar sells beer and booze at reasonable prices, and is an extension of the patrons' living room. Ban smoking, and those people will just stay home. Now in the 'burbs, I don't get to the local much anymore; but if a smoking ban is enacted, I'd never go again.

[SheLion]

Thanks for the ping, Chance!

I just got online and am playing ketchup!

[kevao]

losing more than £26,000 in bar takings in 13 days.

LOL!!! It never occurred to them that smokers who drink would smoke and drink elsewhere. It ain't rocket science.

[Gabz]

"Banning people smoking is not going to stop them smoking, it's just going to force them to move elsewhere."

Good grief - a college student who knows better than the "experts".....whodathunk????

[Ignatz]

We never expected it to have this much of an impact

Haha. Hahahaha! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
OMG! There you have it: Liberal thinking and a Liberal "apology" (that's as close as it gets, folks) wrapped up in one sublime sentence!
This is classic.

[whereasandsoforth]

I'm still looking for an answer. Why are the lungs so sacred to lefty socialist, but the sex organ and anus are open for anything. They also don't object to poisoning the brain.

[metesky]

I just got online and am playing ketchup!

You leave John Kerry alone!

[alaskanfan]

Choosing financial gain over political correctness. That is too funny.

[Landru]

"'A lot of people use the bars in the afternoon to meet friends and have a pint. Obviously people are going into the town centre now where they can smoke as well. We never expected it to have this much of an impact.'"

>doink!< :o)

Well it's an education they came for.

...& that's exactly what they got.

[MrB]

as the only venue in the city banning smoking it was difficult for us to maintain trading levels

This is why leftists always try to deploy their government control as broadly as possible. To make it impossible for people to escape. There would be a wall around the US to keep people IN if they got their way.

[Madame Dufarge]

After smoking ban, Irish Govt targets booze

Give a Nazi an inch and he'll take a mile

[SheLion]

You leave John Kerry alone!

ack!

[SheLion]

We never expected it to have this much of an impact."

Well.........DUH!!!!!!

[SheLion]

but the sex organ and anus are open for anything

YOWSA!

[Uncle Sausage]

I'm still looking for an answer. Why are the lungs so sacred to lefty socialist, but the sex organ and anus are open for anything. They also don't object to poisoning the brain.

Great question. This should be the quote of the day/week/month and asked of every RAT running for office.

[Nataku X]

Excellent question. Will have to try it on a liberal sometime. Heh.

[Protagoras]

The place will be filled by non-smokers and there will be no financial loss.

You forgot the "sarcasm off" tag.