No smoke without fire in Scottish pubs
The Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) has found that alcohol sales in Scottish pubs have dropped by 11% since the introduction of the ban on smoking in public places in March 2006.
The findings have prompted questions about whether the ban will ultimately herald the end of the road for some pubs, and what impact future bans will have on businesses in other regions of the UK. Northern Ireland and England are due to introduce their own bans next year.
The chief executive of the SLTA, Paul Waterston, told Sky News:
"What we've always said is that the traditional Scottish pubs, very often the social centres of their communities, would be under threat and I think that has been held up in these figures."
