Gay MPs and cancer charities welcome smoking ban
The smoking ban has been met with mainly positive reactions amongst
the gay community since Parliament voted for it on Tuesday.
PinkNews.co.uk reported earlier in the week that many gay bars and
venues felt they could easily cope with a ban and therefore would be pretty much unaffected.
A spokesman from Soho Clubs and Bars who own some of the West End’s
top gay attractions said: “Soho Clubs and Bars feel that the venues
within our estate offer such high quality food, beverage and
entertainment that we’re best placed to weather any difficulties that might arise from this new legislation.”
Alan, general manager of the Hollywood Showbar in Manchester’s Canal Street said: “I don’t think it will make a difference as not many of our customers don’t smoke anyway.”
A spokesperson for the Health Secretary, Patricia Hewitt warned that bars shouldn’t try and get around the ban. “We’ve received a number of bizarre enquiries asking if the ban will apply to venues without roofs or with only three walls,” she explained to PinkNews.co.uk. “The ban will apply to all areas that are at least 50 per cent enclosed.”
Chris Bryant is a gay Labour MP for Rhonda and is the Parliamentary
Private Secretary to the Lord Chancellor, he voted for the ban: “I’m delighted!” he exclaimed to PinkNews.co.uk. “All the statistics show that gay men are more than twice as likely to smoke than straight men.”
“I’ve a lot of gay friends that smoke and they always say to me that it will easier to give up if they weren’t allowed to smoke in pubs or clubs.”
“Too many people die early and it’s great that this may be able to stem this.”
