Told you so

Back in 2004, the restaurant and bar industry predicted its immenent demise as the Government moved to outlaw indoor smoking in all bars, restaurants and clubs. “No one will go out if they can't smoke!” they screamed. “We'll be ruined!” bawled the publicans.

The New Zealand Herald today published this:

Hospitality Association chief executive Bruce Robertson said yesterday that on balance the legislation's economic impact on the industry had been neutral.

Coming from them, that's postively glowing praise. They even noted that patronage was up at many restaurants and pubs that could provide outdoor smoking areas, and only down in those that couldn't or that catered to older men. For many others, patronage was static, which certainly isn’t the same as the collapse they predicted.

The main point of the law was to reduce harm from smoking. First, it would discourage “socially cued” smoking, in which people smoke because others are or because they're drinking. Second, it would make it easier for social smokers to quit, and it would discourage former smokers from resuming. And finally, it would also remove the danger of second-hand smoke to non-smoking patrons and especially hospitality workers.

The health benefits have far exceeded expectations. For example, the article reports that a study found that in 2003, before the law, 71% of respondents said they smoked when they went to a pub. In 2006 that number had dropped to only 26%.

Overall, the percentage of adult New Zealanders who smoke has now plateuaed at 23 percent and is declining among 15 to 19 year olds, where it's at 9 percent and falling. This is brilliant news.

I can't believe how much more enjoyable it is to go out and not return home reeking of foul cigarette stench. You can even breathe in Auckland's casino which formerly had a constant haze of cigarette smoke in it. Okay, this last one I don't really care about (though I'm happy for the workers), but it's so nice to be able to go to a restaurant or cafe and not have someone's smoke ruin the meal.

And, despite the dire predictions to the contrary, the number of places to go to hasn’t declined in the least. If anything, it’s only gotten better now that we’re freed from cigarette smoke.

All of this should’ve been as obvious to the hospitality industry as it was to most ordinary people. Maybe they couldn’t see through the cigarette haze. In any case, the Government’s move clearly was the right thing to do for all of us, the hospitality industry incuded.