The Scottish Executive has announced plans to ban smoking in enclosed public spaces.
Licensees have vowed to fight the legislation, which Scotland’s first minister Jack McConnell has pledged will be in place from Spring 2006.  “It is an opportunity that this parliament should not miss, and I don’t believe that we will,” he said.

The British Medical Association welcomed the move.
“Devolution has provided us with an opportunity to lead the rest of the UK in developing this vital piece of public health legislation,” said Scottish secretary Bill O’Neill.
“Voluntary measures, which are about comfort rather than public health protection, have been in place for over 10 years and have been proved to be ineffective.  Each year we continue to rely on these half-hearted measures, Scots continue to suffer from passive smoke-related illnesses and significant numbers die.

“International experience shows that comprehensive tobacco control programmes, supported by national legislation, work.”

But the Scottish Licensed Trade Association warned that a ban would be unenforceable.
“We fully endorse the executive’s desire to tighten smoking policy,” said spokesman Paul Waterson.  “But we still believe that we don’t have to go from nothing to a total ban.

“We have compromise proposals on the table, they are fair, we believe they are workable and we think that we don’t have to go to a full ban here.”