Smoking ban could shut Gen Z out of the pub

Seventeen years after the last Labour government banned smoking indoors, Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed Whitehall is exploring introducing an outdoor smoking ban to pubs.

Under the proposed rules, smoking in pub gardens, restaurant terraces, and rooftop bars would be banned, in order to curb the number of preventable deaths caused by smoking.

Health leaders have praised the policy as necessary to reduce the strain on the NHS. Yet, with younger people more likely to smoke and vape than older people, it could signal yet another way that the pub industry is pushing out Gen Z.

Gen Zers are already less likely to drink than any other generation. With many locals already being forced to close this year, the smoking ban might save the NHS, but kill hospitality.

Smoke-free

For decades, the number of people who are taking up smoking has been decreasing. In 2023, however, a study showed that the decline has ground to a halt, due to the growing number of 18-24-year-olds who are picking up the habit.

The news is obviously disappointing for public health. Smoking has been proven to cause lung disease, which can lead to emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and lung cancer.

However, it is undeniable that more young people are choosing to take up smoking or vaping and many of this group want to enjoy their ciggie in a beer garden. If the act becomes illegal, there is a concern that pubs might lose one of their key demographics.

Outdoor spaces were a liferaft for hospitality when the 2007 indoor smoking ban was introduced. At the time, smokers simply swapped glasses for plastic cups and moved outdoors. But a complete ban would have more of an impact. Pubs have also invested in improving their smoking areas since the coronavirus pandemic.

A more extreme outdoor smoking ban could see young people ditch the taproom altogether. We have seen how this would devastate sales. After a wet summer this June, sales were 1.5% down at UK pubs as consumers stayed away from beer gardens and terraces.

£7 a pint

Gen Z is already putting a poor attendance at the pub. One study from YouGov found that 39% of 18-to-24 year olds now self-describe as fully alcohol-free.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that young people have gone cold turkey on pubs. But they are certainly looking elsewhere for less boozy places to socialise, swapping a pint of bitter for a matcha latte, and a hangover for a morning run.

They’ll say it’s about health, but cost is also likely a factor. Historically, pubs have been viewed as a popular haunt for students. Yet price rises at many beer houses have meant the drinks menus are no longer affordable for younger people on lower salaries.

Earlier this year, research found that the average UK pint would cost more than a fiver for the first time in 2024, as hiked staffing costs force pub chains to push up their price list. Meanwhile in London, buying a pint will drain your wallet by £7.15, on average.

This is almost two thirds of the hourly minimum wage and a significant chunk of payslips. Those who attempt to save by going alcohol-free are also in for a shock. Today, soft drinks cost almost as much as a pint. No wonder Gen Zers need a cigarette to take the edge off.

Why do pubs need Gen Z?

Some might say it’s best that Gen Z stay out of the pub. They’re whiney, they use confusing slang, and they won’t stop telling you to have a Brat summer. But the truth is, pubs need the next generation if they are to stay upright.

As the percentage of pubs closing each year surges, and with 769 pubs having called last orders in the last year alone, the outdoor smoking ban could have very poor consequences for the industry; especially with tobacco usage on the rise.

Other suggested policies, such as raising the age that a person can legally buy cigarettes each year, might be a smarter way to wean Brits off cigs without hitting hospitality in one go.

Kate Nicholls, CEO of trade group UK Hospitality, told the Today programme that the policy must be better thought through “before we damage businesses, economic growth and jobs”.

“This is not without economic harm, and it’s not without economic cost to businesses that are providing outside areas for smokers and non-smokers, and also vapers”, she added.