Smoking in enclosed public spaces has been banned in Scotland for the last 10 years.
Ten years ago, it became illegal to smoke in an enclosed public place in Scotland with England, Wales and Northern Ireland following suit the year after.
The Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005 was a watershed moment for anti-tobacco campaigners, and supporters say it has had a hugely positive effect on Scotland’s public health.
But pubs are suffering.
Paul Waterson, chief executive of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, told The Courier that since 2006 an average of three mainly rural pubs per week had closed in Scotland and the smoking ban, he said, was an underlying cause of these “terrible” times.
In Saturday’s Courier, we’ll be looking at 10 years of the smoking ban and how it has affected all of our lives.
