Pizza hut bans smoking in restaurants

Monday, 18 August 2003 12:00 AM

The fast food restaurant chain Pizza Hut has become the first of its kind to ban smoking in all of its 500 branches.

The company, which is part owned by Whitbread, has made the decision in order to protect both its staff and customers from passive smoking. It claims that there is enormous support for such a ban among its customers.

Pizza Hut operations director, Brian Rimmer, explained that the company believes that families should be able to take time to have a meal in a restaurant without exposing their children to other people's smoke.

'It is equally important that our staff can work in a smoke-free environment,' he added.

The move comes after the Government's chief medical officer, Dr Liam Donaldson, recommended a total ban on smoking in public places last month and last week the Brighton and Hove Primary Care Trust tried to persuade the council to implement a similar ban.

Smoking in restaurants and bars has been successfully banned in many bars and restaurants in America for several years.

Tags: