HUNDREDS of people have quit smoking since last year's lighting-up ban.
But some pub licensees say it is killing their trade.
Figures from Calderdale's stop smoking service show a 41 per cent increase in the number of people stopping since a ban on smoking indoors was introduced last July.
The number of people quit
ting rose from 1,149 between April 2006 and March 2007 to 1,620 for the first period after the new law was brought in.
Calderdale's figure is higher than the regional average of a 33 per cent increase. Sue Jones, from the service, says that figure is just those who have successfully quit – around double that will have contacted the service to get help.
"The ban has had a strong impact on the number of people signing up to stop smoking," she said.
"It has been quite well accepted and people are supportive of the fact that it encourages them to think about quitting."
She said the ban was brought in to protect people from suffering health problems from second-hand smoke.
The ban has not been welcomed by many licensees who say their customers are staying at home where they can smoke inside.
Administrator Pricewa-terhouseCoopers has predicted 6,000 UK pubs may close in the next five years if they do not take steps to address the impact of the smoking ban and squeeze on consumer spending.
And Andy Mitchinson, trainee assistant manager at Barracuda in Halifax, said: "It's a lot quieter since the ban came in.
"As a smoker I don't mind going outside for a smoke during the summer but it's different in the winter.
"I think in a couple of years people will get used to it."
Paul Cummin and Jared Smith, who work at Lewins, Halifax, said they had kept customers by providing a smoking area.
Katrina Breakwell, who works at the Barum Top, Halifax, said she had not noticed much difference and thought most people had got used to the law.
The full article contains 340 words and appears in Evening Courier newspaper.
