...in Scotland, at least. Eire has had this for a year or so already, and I applaud it, though there are the nay-sayers who claim it's a bad thing and a restriction of freedom.

I say "About high time!" It'll be great to go for a beer or a meal and not have to worry about the vile stench of tobacco smoke. My only worry is that it might be un-enforceable.

I wonder if they might have been better banning smoking in all public places where food is consumed - which is my major gripe against smoking in public - and at least allow a subset of non-food-serving pubs to offer a smoking section (double doors and air-con mandatory!)

Ah, happy day. I hope...!!!

What say the people of CCV? Pro-ban, anti-ban or somewhere inbetween?

John

I fully support this decision. Finally Holyrood has made a positive decision and has shown some teeth. I also disagree with all the publicans who claim they will lose half of their customers. If anything they will replace them all with reformed smokers, newly liberated non-smokers and others who have not even ventured out into the foul atmosphere that chokes our country like a blanket of death. If you've seen how busy the Phoenix (non smoking pub) in West George St in Glasgow is, then they all have nothing to worry about. Pity we have to wait so long!

What does this mean for dedicated work place smoking rooms? They are public places, all employees can wander in, will they therefore be torn down or simply left to smoulder?

Speaking personally I always find it amusing that companies are oh so keen to show their newly repainted smoking room (they're alwaysd being repainted !) demonstrating how much they value and the money they spend on their workers. Smoking is a personal habit - I like a beer but they dont build me a bar!!!

On the BBC News at 7.20 this morning they asked the opinion of two (Scottish)blokes who were already in the pub drinking pints "at 7.20am". Can you beleive they found a pub open with people drinking at 7.20. On top of that they expected to get sensible comments out of these two blokes, obviously the comments they gave were limited to say the least.

Personaly I say ban it in every pub, one of the mean reasons people have so much trouble giving up is because they go to the pub and start smoking again.

About 2 years ago they enacted the law here in Florida that makes it illegal to smoke in restaurants (we already had it in all other workplaces). They have the provision that anyone who makes less than 10% of their income from food sales (like bars/pubs) can still have smoking.
So far I haven't seen any problems enforcing it--with the exception of the first few days of the law, I have not seen anyone try to light up. And I have to say that I am very very happy not to have to worry about other people's smoke interfering with my food.
An interesting recent study is that smoking is down 1%, which they attribute partially to smoking restrictions in public places.