8:43am Saturday 9th December 2006
By Geoff Percival
The Pizza Express restaurant, in London Road, Southend, has joined the growing number of eating-places in the town to go smoke-free.
In advance of the mandatory smoking ban in enclosed public places, due to come into force next July, several restaurants and bars have already made the decision to go no smoking.
Pizza Express has been presented with a National Clean Air Award for its decision, after being nominated by the South East Essex Primary Care Trust.
Pizza Express manager Maria Kenny said: "We found many people were asking for smoke-free tables during busy periods.
"We gave customers six weeks notice at the end of the summer of our intention to go smoke free, to give them plenty time to adjust.
"We want our customers to be happy and enjoy their meal. I also hope that this will encourage people who may have been put off by tobacco smoke in the past to come to visit us again."
In fact staff have even had customers write to congratulate and support them for going smoke free.
South East Essex PCT Smoke Free Places Project Coordinator Colleen McCarthy said: "It is encouraging to see more businesses choosing to go smoke free ahead of the national bans.
"It makes good business sense to go smoke free, with 75 per cent of adults in the UK being non-smokers anyway.
"It also makes good health sense for both staff and customers. It is important that the public also know about smoke free places to go in the town."
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