And so it goes

Charles Senkler, proprietor of Fabulous Ferns on Selby and Western in St. Paul sends along these little blurbs from the British Publican, a publication for pub owners. They speak for themselves.

Junk food faces ad ban to protect children
15 June, 2006

By John Porter

TV ads for crisps, chocolate and fizzy drinks are likely to be banned before 9pm
Crisps and fizzy drinks look set to follow alcohol with an advertising ban before the 9pm watershed.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) believes proposals drawn up by boadcast watchdog Ofcom to reduce the number of 'junk food' ads seen by children do not go far enough. It is expected to call for a complete ban on ads for crisps, chocolate and sugary soft drinks before 9pm, in order to protect as many children as possible.

The debate over advertising followed concerns over rising levels of obesity in children raised in the 'Choosing Health' White Paper, which also proposed the smoking ban.


Chip ban fears for Scottish pubs
5 May, 2006

Scottish publicans could be ordered to promote healthy food rather than pub grub such as pie & chips under draconian new rules being considered by the Scottish Executive.

The regulations would require pubs to have policies in place to promote sensible eating as a condition of holding a licence.

Pubs fear that zealous licensing officers would crack down on pubs selling dishes perceived as 'unhealthy'.

The requirement to provide healthy eating advice is included in a discussion document from the Executive. It proposes new requirements for pubs in a range of areas including crime prevention and public health.

The Executive has pledged to consult fully with the industry before any conditions are imposed.


Smoking ban officials on strike
28 March, 2006

Environmental health officers (EHOs) across Scotland have joined a strike by council employees today, giving smokers the chance to light up unmonitored for 24 hours.

On day three of the smoking ban 200,000 local government employees, have walked out in a strike over pension rights. This means the EHOs and smoking ban officials are not able to enforce the new ban.

Edinburgh has four smoking-ban officials and a team of 146 EHOs who were carrying out an initial two-and-a-half-week blitz on 3,000 premises in Edinburgh. More than 120 EHOs were on call in Glasgow.

Under the new laws, licensees will face a £200 fine for allowing customers to smoke on their premises and a further £200 fine if they do not display correct signage.