MEDIA RELEASE    (Download Word file) PUB AND BAR COALITION OF CANADA (PUBCO) PUB AND BAR COALITION OF CANADA (PUBCO) CALLS ON PROVINCE FOR $500,000,000 COMPENSATION PACKAGE IF 100% SMOKING BAN ADOPTED: NEW BEER SALES DATA REINFORCES CONTINUING DESTRUCTION OF PUB AND BAR INDUSTRY AS A RESULT OF SMOKING BANS New beer sales data released by the Brewers Association of Canada further underline the melt-down of Ontario's pub and bar industry as a result of 100% smoking bans. Licensee beer sales in London, Kingston, Cornwall and Belleville where new bans were implemented in 2003 fell by almost 6% more than in other areas where such bans were not in effect, These numbers follow similar losses experienced during the first 12 months of smoking bans in Ottawa and Oakville, where licensee beer sales losses exceeded the provincial average by a staggering 6.57% and 10.78% respectively. "A 6% drop is huge and, with the advent of winter, we can only expect this figure to increase" stated Barry McKay, general manager of the Pub and Bar Coalition of Canada (PUBCO). The numbers also indicate that there is no return to pre-ban sales numbers, once customers have left they do not return". These numbers clearly indicate that a province wide smoking ban would be an unmitigated disaster with licensee beer sales losses alone reaching $180 million annually. Based on what happened in Ottawa, at least 900 small bars across Ontario will be forced to close causing a total destabilization of the industry. With a minimum investment of $250,000.00 in a small bar, and taking into account the loss of equity in businesses that manage to survive, potential losses will be in the region of $500,000,000. This does not take into account the thousands of employees who will be thrown out of work. "There is no justification for such a draconian approach" continued McKay, "especially when there are far more sensible solutions available such as ventilation. PUBCO finds it deplorable that the government should become involved in this type of social engineering, especially when it is carried out on the backs of thousands of innocent small business men and women. If Queens Park insists on introducing such intrusive and destructive legislation, then PUBCO believes that bar owners and their families who will bear the brunt of such measures should be entitled to fair and reasonable compensation. Given the seriousness of the situation, as the only organization in Ontario established to represent small pub and bar owners PUBCO is disappointed that the government has made no effort to discuss the matter with us. There are two sides to every issue, but so far the government appears to be listening to only one of them", concluded McKay. For further information contact PUBCO 1-866-314-2179 613 321-0603 mckay-pubco@rogers.com www.pubcoalition.com	Click on each chart for a larger image.     A new window will open for each.