Essex County Pubs and Bars in Financial Free-Fall

PUBCO declares smoking by-law a disaster

OTTAWA, Nov. 10 /CNW/ - Since the advent of the smoking by-law in Essex
County in October, small pubs and bars are already experiencing financial
difficulty with losses of up to 65% being reported.

"This is precisely what we told local councils would happen but they
completely ignored us" said Barry McKay, General Manager of The Pub and Bar
Coalition of Canada (PUBCO), "Based on our experience in other jurisdictions
where similar bans have been enacted, Essex County bar sales will continue to
plummet, and up to 20% of local bars will be obliged to close within the next
two years".

"100% smoking bans are a financial disaster for our members". stated
McKay. "The Health Industry representatives sing the same song at every
meeting across the province when this issue is debated. They tell us that
there will be an initial drop in sales and then business will increase as the
non-smoking public flock to non-smoking bars"

"This is a bare faced lie" said McKay. "After over two year's experience
with these bans, these people know full well that what they are saying is
untrue - but they keep on saying it anyway".

"When up to 60% of a bar's clientele consists of smokers, once a smoking
ban is introduced the majority of them stop going out, and for many bars it's
game over within a few months".

McKay stressed the tragic fact that that these bans, as well as being
destructive are totally unnecessary. "The risks associated with second hand
smoke have been grossly and deliberately exaggerated by the Health Industry",
he said. "and there are also various compromise solutions that can be adopted
to eliminate whatever risk does exist".

"To make matters worse, such by-laws are discriminatory, targeting as
they do mostly blue collar workers, who traditionally use the local pub as a
focal point for their social activities".

"It is to be hoped that councillors in Windsor will have a greater regard
for small business persons and their hundreds of employees than was the case
in Essex County" concluded McKay.

The Pub and Bar Coalition is an organization established to protect the
interests of liquor licensees.


For further information: 1-866-314-2179 or visit www.pubcoalition.com