Bar owners in a huff over puffs

The Malta Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises, previously known as the GRTU, has come out strongly against what it described as "draconian" measures announced by the government to choke out smoking from public places, including nightclubs and bars as from April.

Speaking with The Times, the president of the association's hospitality and leisure section, Philip Fenech, himself owner of a place of entertainment in Paceville, said the association was asking to meet the health authorities, including the director general of health, Ray Busuttil, to discuss the situation before taking the matter further.

Mr Fenech, who admitted he was a non-smoker who suffered from passive smoking at his establishment, said the association was in serious disagreement with the way the health authorities have decided to introduce the smoking ban in a blanket manner, including all social and leisure places like nightclubs, bars and restaurants. This method, he said, went against proper social engineering.

"We are in favour of a gradual phasing out of smoking but not via a draconian across the board measure. In reality, nightlife should have been the last move. We agree that the authorities should take measures to curb smoking but you cannot change a culture overnight. People need to get used to a system and they also need to be educated.

"People are used to smoking a cigarette as they socialise in clubs, village bars, wedding halls, pubs and restaurants. The authorities should have introduced the ban gradually, leaving social places until the very end. Also, the new system will introduce further discrepancies between the few big places, which can afford to introduce restricted smoking areas, and the majority of small venues, which cannot afford that luxury.

"For instance, in the UK, one can still smoke in bars and pubs. If a restaurant has no space to introduce a special designated area for smoking, it is allowed to declare itself a smoking venue and the people have the choice whether to go or not."

Mr Fenech said the association decided to take up the matter as it had been inundated with calls from establishments' owners: "The owners are concerned that the new regulations will harm their business activity. People who are used to smoking in clubs and bars might decide not to go at all".

Mr Fenech said the association was building a strong case and was eager to meet the authorities to argue against the way the system was being introduced. A legal notice issued in September lays down that as from April, smoking will be banned from "any establishments where services are provided to the public, whether for a charge or free of charge, including the sale of goods".

This effectively means that smoking will even be prohibited in bars and restaurants unless they provide an area reserved for smokers. In the event of conflict between smokers and non-smokers in any areas other than those reserved for smokers, a smoker shall desist from smoking in that area, the regulation lays down.

Other places where smoking will be banned include hospitals, exhibition places, ports, airports and schools.

Furthermore, the regulations stipulate that employers have to designate special areas for smoking that will be totally separate from areas normally occupied by non-smokers.

Strong warnings should be printed on cigarette packets.

A non-print media advertising ban, with the exclusion of billboards, has been in place for some time. Now print media advertising will also be banned.

Malta is among the countries that have ratified the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which binds signatories to a number of conditions and restrictions. The latest statistics show that 24 per cent of men and 18 per cent of women smoke, a reduction from the early 1990s, though the figure is up in the 15- to 22-year segment.

Figures due to be released shortly show that some 358 people died last year from smoking, more than one person a day.

Health promotion officials have hailed the new regulations as a step in the right direction and very much in line with actions being taken in the developed world.