- Wrong!
Smoke-free laws do not drive away existing clientele in the tourism and hospitality sectors. In fact, they attract new clientele.
They also appear to result in reduced maintenance and insurance costs as well as decreased employee absenteeism both for this sector and others.
It is estimated that smoke-free environments would save employers the equivalent of 0.515% to 0.77% of gross domestic product (GDP) in Scotland and between 1.1% and 1.7% of GDP in Ireland.
The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration has estimated that clean air increases productivity by 3%. Thus, the tobacco industry has a powerful incentive to oppose robust smoke-free laws since their impact on the workplace results in a major reduction in cigarette consumption.
