Effects on business

A smoking ban in England making it illegal to smoke in all enclosed workplaces came into effect on July 1, 2007. Most smokers have accepted the situation. Although the ban has made pubs and restaurants more comfortable for non-smokers, the restrictions have had a marked effect on many businesses.

A recent report published in the United Kingdom says that the past seven years had been characterized by a flurry of policies that have severely damaged the pub industry, such as the increase in the alcohol duty, the introduction of the duty escalator and the rise in the Value Added Tax. These factors combined with falling real wages during the recession to make drinking less affordable. However, the report also pointed to the smoking ban as having a significant effect on trade, such that it even called for a relaxation of the "one size fits all" policy.

Commenting on the report, Christopher Snowdon - the author of "Closing Time - Who's Killing the British Pub" released by the Institute of Economic Affairs - said, "The level of alcohol duty in the U.K. is hugely regressive, hitting the poorest the hardest. Taxes must be lowered, and one-size-fits-all policies like the current smoking ban must be reconsidered if we are to temper the rate of decline of the British pub."

Even though restaurants have not been so badly hit by government policies, pubs have been closing at an alarming rate; around a fifth of the U.K.'s pubs have shut since 2006.

Health drives

Snowdon's suggestion to water down the smoking ban and allow people to smoke in special rooms is unlikely to wash with parliament.

In fact, there are plans in motion to target those who don't follow a healthier lifestyle even more. In some parts of Britain, overweight people and smokers are already being told they will not receive routine operations if they don't act to change their lifestyle choices.

Patients in Devon with a body mass index of more than 35 have been informed that they must lose either 5 percent of their weight or reduce their BMI to under 35 before they can undergo any surgeries. Meanwhile, smokers will have to have gone without smoking for as long as eight weeks before any planned operation in a bid to slash health care costs and improve clinical outcomes.

Such policies have been labeled draconian by some lawmakers, while others have said that such measures are necessary to improve the nation's health.

Setting examples

Meanwhile, back in China, there are other difficulties in terms of setting a good example. Nearly 60 percent of male Chinese doctors are smokers, the highest proportion in the world. My husband once told me about a visit he made to a hospital in Beidaihe which specializes in the treatment of lung diseases. During the visit, doctors, specialists and observers sat at meetings puffing away at cigarettes, and complimentary cigarettes were placed at each table at some meals.

The Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council has released a draft tobacco control regulation which will ban all forms of tobacco advertising, sponsorship and promotion. A laudable effort, certainly, but one that will be unlikely to have any marked effect in the short term. Clearly, a lot more work needs to be done before smokers finally stub out that last cigarette.

The writer is a London-based columnist and a journalist with a special interest in cultural exchange and sustainable development.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.