The Stage

Clubland braced for job losses after smoking ban

Published Tuesday 21 February 2006 at 14:40 by Mark Ritchie

Club entertainers are predicting falling audience levels and widespread job losses after MPs decided to extend the smoking ban to include members’ clubs.

Officials from the Club and Institute Union lost their fight to keep social clubs exempt from the government’s Health Bill, as an all-out ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces in England and Wales was broadened to cover “both licensed premises and membership clubs” by the House of Commons.

The campaign was part of a wider intitiative launched by the Committee of Registered Clubs’ Association, which represents around 5,000 clubs nationwide including CIU members, to prevent an all-inclusive ban. The sector is now predicting a massive drop in attendances for club entertainment as punters opt to stay at home.

George Dawson, CIU national executive committee member, commented: “The ban is sure to have a detrimental effect on club business and audience numbers. I am a smoker and I think that people should have the choice… the ban will hit [clubland] hard.”

Meanwhile, Equity north-east variety branch secretary Brenda Marsh also warned that it will be “disastrous” for entertainers working in social clubs. “If people have a drink, many of them like a cigarette,” she said. “I believe that the effects of the ban will be highly detrimental to the venues and obviously to the acts who will be out of work. If Equity supported a smoking ban we would be causing a huge problem for about a third of our members, who work in clubs and variety.”

However, Fiona Castle, widow of entertainer Roy Castle, argued that the experience of other cities which had outlawed smoking in public places was that it did not have a significant impact on the club industry. “I understand where people are coming from who fear for the future of the business but the reality from New York and Ireland is that more people than ever there are going out to pubs and clubs after an initial lean spell,” she explained.

“I was worried that private members’ clubs would be exempt from the ban as that is where Roy got most of his smoke inhalation from during his early career when he worked in those places.”

Yorkshire clubland entertainer Tony Wayne agreed that clean air would provide better working conditions but expressed his concern that it could lead to falling attendance levels. He added: “Of course clean air is a good thing but the clubs will certainly lose an awful lot of customers and I would imagine that there will be a huge drop in audiences. It’s the working class people who like to sit with a pint and a cigarette. When I look out from the stage during my own shows I see most people in the audience smoking.”

The Department of Health said unions would still have a chance to put their concerns to MPs as the bill made its way through parliament. A spokeswoman said: “We published an impact assessment alongside the bill looking at what the effects of a ban have been in other countries, which shows there has been no significant impact on the economy or on this kind of club.

“This was a free vote and as far as the DoH is concerned we welcome the decision MPs have made, which will be a huge step forward for public health and will save hundreds of thousands of lives.”

She added that an exemption for theatres is likely to be considered when regulations issued under the bill are drawn up.

Theatrical Management Association chief executive Richard Pulford said: “Our understanding is that they are examining making a special exception for theatres. In New York. You can smoke herbal cigarettes on stage as long as there is a warning - that’s something that could work here.”