Want to enjoy an accommodation venue where you can experience a drink, meal and stay in a completely no-smoking atmosphere? You're not alone. ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) reiterates that it has been consistently shown that passive smoking contributes to a range of health risks including cancer, asthma, heart disease, and angina. Young children suffering from the effects of passive smoking may suffer from respiratory problems and glue ear, and links have been made between passive smoking of babies and cot death.
Guests value non smoking areas, and show their appreciation by visiting accommodation venues which are either all non-smoking or offer no smoking public areas including dining rooms, lounges and of course no smoking rooms which can be found in most hotels and guesthouses. You'll find many, if not most Cornwall accommodation now, that is non-smoking accommodation across all types of accommodation from hotels, guesthouses, self-catering cottages, holiday parks and caravan sites.
Increasingly many accommodation venues offer a completely no smoking environment, or restrict smoking areas to bars or garden and patio areas outside Cornwall Guest Houses. Watch out for places listed with a Roy Castle Gold or Silver Awards indicating either all non-smoking guesthouses and hotels, or partially no smoking. At most Tourist Information Points you can pick up the guide to Smoke-Free areas, which lists restaurants, cafes, pubs, entertainment venues and accommodation which is completely or partially non-smoking.
The Roy Castle Gold Award for accommodation, restaurants, entertainment venues, shops and other public places are given to total smoke free environments - and that means non smoking at all times! The Roy Castle Silver Award signifies a venue which is not totally non-smoking, but does provide a good smoke-free area which will either offer a separate room, or two thirds smoke-free venue if that establishment is open plan. This same standard will apply to a dedicated eating area in a pub but this standard may be less stringent in a non-eating area within a pub. It's always worth checking first!
According to ASH, a ban on smoking in public places would save approximately 4,800 lives per year, and that many studies have shown that smoking bans are good for business. Legislation on non-smoking public areas in the UK is vague and, suggests the Clear the Air Coalition, inadequate. A Public Places Charter, however, is building in conjunction with the hospitality industry and there is expectation that no smoking public places, including accommodation venues, is on the increase as evidence increasingly shows that smoking bans are good for business. Signatories to the Charter recognise that non-smoking is in fact the norm, and that the desire for non-smoking areas in the UK is strong. They demand increasing provision of facilities for non-smokers and the availability of clean air, outlined as:
A written policy on smoking, available to customers and staff, implementation through non-smoking areas, air cleaning and ventilation as appropriate and whenever practicable. Communication to customers through external signage to an agreed format and appropriate internal signs, implementation on a rolling basis over a number of years, informed by an initial assessment of the current position, internal monitoring and subsequent independent research to monitor progress, Recognition of smoking policies as a management responsibility to be reflected in general training, qualification and supervision, Support for shared expertise and guidance on commercial and technical benefits of smoking policies and air cleaning. The Government applauds these aims and will encourage and support the signatories in achieving them. Signatories include the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR), Brewers and Licensed Retailers Association (BLRA), British Institute of Innkeeping, British Hospitality Association (BHA), and the Restaurant Association.
Increasingly hotels and guesthouses are at the very least offering non-smoking rooms to guests, but many are now all non-smoking for the comfort of all guests. This includes self-catering holiday cottages and caravans too. Luxury leisure hotels, with an emphasis on health, beauty and fitness are usually all non-smoking. Guests in general now prefer it and it's becoming the norm! Cornwall accommodation is no exception, and non-smoking preferences are well catered for. Larger Cornwall hotels will still often offer choice of non-smoking and smoking rooms, and smokers (if you're desperate and can't go without) look to Cornwall pubs and inns for plenty of smoking areas!