Beer flat after smoking ban

Beer consumption in British pubs has fallen by 9.7 per cent since the smoking ban was introduced last July. All categories of alcohol sales fell including stout, premier ale, lager, wines and spirits. Many larger pub chains have taken steps to safeguard profits with a wider range of food and by appealing to families previously put off by the smoky atmosphere. But small, tenanted pubs and free houses have suffered considerably. Scottish & Newcastle - the UK's biggest domestic brewer - estimates that the smoking laws will reduce its sales by eight per cent.