New Study of CHD Expert on Smoking Ban: Hard Cuts for 28% of German Pubs and Restaurants

For more than 28 percent of the German pubs and restaurants in Lower Saxony and Baden-Wuerttemberg the smoking ban means hard cuts in turnover with guest declines of over ten percent. Since August this year in the hospitality industry of this two German states smokers have to smoke outside or in separate rooms or lounges if available. For the other German states – except Hesse – smoking bans for pubs and restaurants are in preparation and will be imposed in early 2008.

This is one of the results of the first study on the smoking ban’s effect on pubs and restaurants in Germany. In October 2007 over 550 restaurant and pub managers in Lower Saxony and Baden-Wuerttemberg have been surveyed by CHD Expert Group regarding their experiences with the smoking ban.

“For 43 percent of the pubs and restaurants there is a significant decline in guests and marks the small bars with only one guest room as losers of the smoking ban,” Managing Director of CHD, Thilo Lambracht says. The guest decline of ten percent and more for 28 percent of the pubs and restaurants could thread their business model dramatically, Mr. Lambracht points out. Not a few of them are menaced by bankruptcy.

More than 70 percent of the pubs and restaurants aren’t able to invest in separate smoking rooms. Only one-fifth could declare a separate room for smokers.

In Germany a smoking ban is obtained for nearly all public rooms and houses since autumn this year. The smoking bans for pubs and restaurants depend on several laws of the 16 German states.

Overview of smoking bans in pubs and restaurants in Europe

Ireland – since March 2004
Scotland – since March 2006
England, Wales, North Ireland – since summer 2007
Italy – since January 2005
Malta – since April 2005
Sweden – since June 2005
France – to be expected in January 2008
Finland – since June 2007

Source: Green Paper of the European Commission "Towards a Europe free from tobacco smoke: policy options at EU level", January 2007

About CHD Expert Group: For ten years the CHD Expert Group (CHD) supports the industry in collecting, managing and analyzing business data in the Away-from-Home market. Now CHD Expert Group is recognized as the market’s global leader and hold four million records across Europe and North America. The Away-from-Home market is enjoying phenomenal growth worldwide.