THOUSANDS OF ADDICTS STUB OUT
THEIR CIGARETTES Bath Chronicle
BY NADIA STONE
11:00 - 10 March 2005
As Far as habits go, smoking is one of the most expensive, unhealthy, and filthy ones
people can adopt - and around one million Brits yesterday made a pledge to give up.
National No Smoking Day aimed to encourage smokers to fight their reliance on cigarettes,
and several events were held in Bath to support people in their quest to quit.
The King of Wessex pub in James Street West is the first JD Wetherspoons outlet in the
south west to enforce a total smoking ban, which came into force at 10am yesterday.
Manager Nicki Cant said: "There have been a few people forgetting about our ban and
wandering in with cigarettes in their hands, but they turn around and go straight back out
again."
Earlier this year, JD Wetherspoons announced all of its 600 pubs would ban smoking by May
2006.
Around 60 are due to start their ban before May.
Ms Cant added: "Government legislation will bring the ban in anyway.
"Wetherspoons was the first company to adopt separate no smoking areas and our head
office thinks it's right for it to take the lead on this as well."
All Bar One in Bath's High Street has been trialing a smoking ban since October, with the
support of Bath and North East Somerset Primary Care Trust (PCT).
"It's going fantastically well," said manager Catherine Hurst.
A bar in Keynsham is also asking their regulars to stub out their cigarettes.
The owners of Cafe Bar One Nine in High Street imposed a daytime ban when they took over
in December 2003.
Alison and Richard Smith decided to bring in a blanket ban after conducting a survey which
showed 83 per cent of their customers supported the proposal.
Mr Smith said: "It's a fantastic feeling. Now families can come in without worrying
about a smokey atmosphere."
Bath and North East Somerset Council has also offered staff advice on how to stop smoking
through a drop- in session.
Health development officer Sue Green said that the Wake Up To No Smoking Day event was
successful.
"As an employer, we're encouraging people to stop smoking, but we're also going to
provide them with support while they're doing it," she added.
Bath pharmacists are also eager to support addicts who want to drop the habit. They can
advise customers on products available to wean themselves off cigarettes.
Simon Medley, pharmacist at Hawes Whiston & Co in St James' Square, said: "Giving
up smoking requires planning, encouragement, support and motivation.
"We can help the process in many ways.
"Most pharmacies are getting involved, so people who want to give up smoking can go
into pretty much every pharmacy to get the advice they need."
Help is also on offer through nine stop smoking services in Avon, Gloucestershire and
Wiltshire.
Figures show 9,615 people across the area gave up smoking between April 2003 and April
2004.
As part of the day yesterday, staff at the area's health authority were offered advice,
and had the chance to have the levels of carbon monoxide in their blood measured.
Meanwhile, St Martin's Hospital, Bath, held a breakfast and information session for staff
yesterday to prepare for the site to go smoke-free at the end of this month, and all PCT
sites will ban smoking by the end of next year.
The Princess Anne wing of the Royal United Hospital also had an information stand
available to smokers.
Boots, which has shops in Merchants Passage, Bath, and High Street, Keynsham, had
specialist advisers on hand to answer questions.
A healthy fun event was held at Southdown Methodist Church Hall, where goody bags were
given out to people signing up to a smoke-free homes and zones promise.
The University of Bath will hold a session on Wednesday from 2.30-3.30pm offering advice
on supporting friends to stop smoking.
National No Smoking Day was organised by Cancer Research UK. The charity said around
40,000 of the one million people who attempted to give up smoking yesterday would succeed
TOWN GOES BANANAS OVER FAIRTRADE
STATUS Bath Chronicle
05 March 2005
A Caribbean banana farmer was among the people celebrating Keynsham's new status as a
Fairtrade town yesterday. A range of dignitaries and Fairtrade leaders were invited to
mark the official adoption of the town's new status.
Jonathan Richards, chair of the Fairtrade Group, attended the launch alongside Cllr Andrew
Wait, chair of Keynsham Town Council, and Cllr Marian McNeir, chair of Bath and North East
Somerset council. Mr Richards welcomed banana farmer Regina Joseph from Dominica in the
Caribbean.
Mr Richards said: "It is a tremendous honour for us to host her visit and she will be
able to tell us first hand of the real impact of Fairtrade."
Keynsham's new status means that shops and traders in the city are committed to selling
Fairtrade goods, including coffee, tea and fruit, which have been bought direct from the
producers at a reasonable price.
The idea behind the Fairtrade initiative is to ensure that the farmers in developing
countries are guaranteed a fair deal, helping to support themselves, their families and
their communities.
Cllr McNeir said: "I am delighted that Keynsham has been awarded this status. It is a
great achievement. Bath and North East Somerset Council are supportive of Fairtrade
wherever possible."
Cllr Wait added: "Along with our traditional High Street, specialist shops and
farmers' market, this is another good reason to visit and shop in Keynsham."
The launch took place as part of the national Fairtrade Fortnight, and a number of
Keynsham businesses are planning special events to celebrate the two-week event.
The town's farmers' market will showcase a number of products at 9pm on Saturday March 12
at Keynsham's Fear Institute, and Cafe Bar One Nine is putting together a menu using only
Fairtrade ingredients.
The Co-op store will sell Fairtrade products with 20 per cent off.
SMOKERS' LAST CALL Bath Chronicle
BY BEN MURCH
11:00 - 17 February 2005
Regulars will be asked to stub out their cigarettes for the last time at a Keynsham bar
next month when it imposes a total smoking ban. Alison and Richard Smith, owners of Cafe
Bar One Nine in High Street, decided to ban smoking during the daytime when they took over
in December 2003.
The move proved popular and, in response to demand from drinkers, the couple extended the
ban to the early evening last year.
Now, after conducting a survey which showed 83 per cent of their customers wanted a
completely smoke-free bar, they have decided to bring in a total ban from national No
Smoking Day on Wednesday, March 9.
Mrs Smith said: "It makes clear financial sense to become completely smoke-free.
"People are aware of the current public debate, and non-smokers are actively on the
lookout for businesses who are responding to their needs.
"Fewer and fewer customers are smoking in our bar during the evenings. We're just
taking that to its logical conclusion. We're not out on a limb with this decision."
Mr Smith said trials on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve last year and an exisiting
smoking ban at the bar's monthly Saturday night live music and food events had shown
customers were not deterred by restrictions.
He said: "During our non-smoking evenings, the improvement in atmosphere is
significant, and both staff and customers have commented how much they enjoy the
difference."
The customer survey showed 83 per cent backed an entirely smoke-free bar, including 20 per
cent of smokers.
Results also showed 53 per cent of customers were women, and there was a wide age range,
with a third aged 18-2, and another third aged 60 or over.
A Government ban on smoking in public places, including all pubs and bars which serve
food, will come into effect from 2008.
Helen Arnoldi, Bath and North East Somerset Primary Care Trust's tobacco control and stop
smoking co-ordinator, welcomed Mr and Mrs Smith's early action, and said it would protect
staff and customers' health and make it easier for smokers to quit.
She said: "If you have stopped and want to stay stopped, it's useful to know you can
go out in the evening and not be tempted to start again.
"People who have given up are often tempted back into smoking by friends after a
couple of drinks, when they aren't as strong willed as normal."
PUBLICANS SAY NO TO 24-HOUR OPENING
Bath Chronicle
BY DAVID LEWINS
11:00 - 07 February 2005
Changes in licensing laws are unlikely to bring 24- hour drinking to Bath, licensees have
said. Today sees the introduction of new licensing laws, with responsibility for granting
licences passing from magistrates to the council over the next ten months.
Changes in the law also mean pubs and clubs will be able to apply to serve alcohol 24
hours a day - but licensees have said this is unlikely to happen.
A survey by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has revealed that not one of its
30,500 members will be opening for 24 hours once the Licensing Act 2003 comes into force.
The only days which pubs are looking to extend their hours are Friday and Saturday, with
58 per cent planning to apply to close at 1am, according to the survey.
Alison Smith, owner of Bar One Nine in Keynsham, a BBPA member, said: "We are
probably only looking to open up until midnight on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays.
"But this is a nice-to-have rather than a must-have.
"We are 50 per cent food and that's what's driving this - people want to linger over
a meal, not be rushed out of the door."
Hugh Brooker, chairman of the Bath Bar Charter Group and manager of RSVP in George Street,
said he did not think anywhere in Bath would apply for 24-hour opening.
"We have absolutely no intention of doing so and I don't think anyone else has,"
he said.
"From my point of view I'm running a business to make money. I won't be making money
if I've got an empty bar and I'm paying staff to be there."
Mr Brooker pointed to New Year's Eve as an example of the unpopularity of 24-hour opening.
New Year's Eve is deregulated, meaning premises can open for up to 36 hours from New
Year's Eve morning.
"There were a few places that did this for the millennium, but going back to the
start of 2005, I don't think anybody did," said Mr Brooker.
However, he expected licensees to use the changes in the law to apply to open until about
2am.
"The advantage of this is people will be coming out in dribs and drabs rather than in
two big bursts," he added.
Under the existing law, pubs and clubs have to apply for a Public Entertainment Licence in
order to open past 11pm.
Under the new Licensing Act this will no longer be necessary, but all applications have to
be approved by local authorities and the police or residents can object to any
application.
"What pubs want is the flexibility to provide more choice after 11pm," said Mark
Hastings, director of communications for BBPA.
"At present the only choice you have at 11pm is to go home or go to a noisy
nightclub. Following the introduction of the act, pubs will be able to apply for
variations in their opening and closing times."
During the last ever annual licensing session at Bath Magistrates Court on Friday,
magistrates expressed their frustration about the increasing number of pubs and clubs in
the city.
Licensing committee chairman John Chard says the city centre has become 'saturated',
leading to problems with noise and public disorder.
In his report presented at the meeting, Chief Supt Dave Hayler raised concerns about rapid
management turnover at licensed premises, particularly chain pubs and bars, and said
owners needed to improve recruitment and retention to drive standards up.
