ANTI-smoking groups and health chiefs in Poole believe Tony Blair should go all the way with a total smoking ban.

The Prime Minister this week backed Health Minister Patricia Hewitt's plan for a tougher ban on smoking - a U-turn on the government's pre-election policy to introduce a ban only in restaurants and bars which serve food.

The Health Improvement and Protection Bill, due later this month, is set to phase in a three-year ban, starting with public buildings and private buildings such as offices, followed by restaurants and bars.

Cllr Peter Adams, who has helped to spearhead the town's ban in public buildings - one of the first in the country to do so - believes the government should go further.

"In Poole we have already banned smoking in public buildings," he said. "I don't know why they don't just do it all at once.

"The main problem with a smoking ban for places serving prepared food is that it would reduce choice, which would result in fewer pubs serving food. I don't know how they would enforce a partial ban either."

Mr Adams, a former smoker, added: "The Poole panel came out overwhelmingly in favour of a total ban when we completed our survey.

"There are lots of troubling smoking statistics.

"The most worrying surrounds cot deaths, which are twice as likely where both parents smoke."

A nationwide survey, conducted by IFF Research Ltd, has found that a partial ban on smoking in premises serving food would lead to geographical inequalities.

This found that 45 per cent of pubs and bars in deprived areas would be exempt from the ban.

Anti-smoking campaigners are concerned at suggestions that the government may propose smoking rooms as an alternative to an outright ban. Peter Adams is strongly against this.

"Smoking rooms are the biggest problem facing pubs," he said.

"Bars would have to be completely separate, which would cost them a fortune. It would be a cost without profit."

Barrie Sims, tenant of the Home Sweet Inn in Wimborne Road, agreed: "It's a ludicrous idea and would kill the British pub industry.

"They talk about protecting the bar staff, but who would end up going in to the smoking bars to collect the glasses?

" If they allow private members' clubs to be exempt as they are threatening to do, it will mean pubs losing all their smoking customers to them."

Adrian Dawson, director of Poole PCT, would like to see a total ban in pubs and restaurants.

"We have 18,000 smokers in Poole but with any luck we could see 1,400 smokers a year giving up with a total ban, which is a significant percentage," he said.

First published: October 11