Smoke bans opposed

Press, 26 December 1979, Page 4

Smoke bans opposed

The Southern Pacific! Hotel Corporation, the big-| gest hotel and resort chain in the Pacific Basin, has reacted strongly to pressure from; tobacco interests regarding its proposal to ban smoking from some of its hotels. | A statement from the cor-1 poration said that smokefree zones in its hotels and resorts would increase, in spite of pressure from tobacco interests. In a letter to the national! sales manager of Travelodge! (N.Z.). Ltd, Mr A. Mel-, bourne, the secretary of the:

New Zealand Tobacco Coun-[ cil (Mr- M. F. Dawson) said the council viewed “with concern” the proposal of Travelodge to introduce smoke-free zones in its hotels. "The council considers that adoption of such a scheme will serve to increase the sense of alienation between smokers and! non-smokers and will add to I already dangerous social; divisions between large sec-' tions of the New Zealand! population,” said Mr Dawson.

The managing director of I' the Soul hern Pacific Hotel Corporation (Mr Roger Kirby) said that his organisation would not back down. “We will cater for nonsmokers with rooms free of cigarette and cigar pollution.” Mr Kirby said nonsmokers , had praised the corporation’s decision to isolate the ninth floor of the Boulevard Hotel just for nonsmoking patrons. “We intend to introduce smokeless facilities in all of our resorts and hotels,” he said. ;