Unintended consequences 29 May 2007

OK, so the BBC's article on the smoking ban is not strictly UE-related...but it does provide a nice reminder of the unanticipated effects that can result from changing a system:

"Like most things in life, when the smoking ban comes in force in England on July 1, it will have unintended consequences. So who and what are the unexpected winners and losers?...

"More smokers choose to stay at home and have a puff, exposing their children to second-hand fumes, says a report from the International Epidemiological Association.

"You're down the pub, all your mates have nipped out for a cigarette, you don't smoke but don't want to sit on your own - what do you do? Join them. For some, standing outside while mates smoke has resulted in them taking up the habit.

"Scottish pubs have seen a 10% drop in sales and a 14% drop in custom since the ban. But cigarette sales went up by almost 5% in the six months after the ban, according to figures from the Scottish Grocers Federation."