UK Smoking Ban

As a non-smoker I am relishing this idea to a degree, but I am not convinced it will work. I know it is in place in Ireland but where do smoker's go? My friend M is a smoker so if I go out with her, will I sit inside on my own while she nips out for a fag? Stand out in the cold with her? Or will we end up not going out at all? This could happen sooner than people think, as I have just read that Enfield Council in North London has asked the Association of London Government to give them the relevant powers to ban smoking in public places. No doubt there are other district authorities with similar ambitions. However, to be fair, I think the legislature should be national rather than at regional/district level (if it happens) to be fair to pubs and bars that could lose smokers' business to nearby districts.

Enfield is not far away, although it is not a place I tend to go out in, but if this plan spreads then it will no doubt spread to Essex too. As a non-smoker I am not going to stop going to a favourite pub or bar because it still serves smokers, nor am I likely to go to a particular pub because it is non-smoking. I go to a pub for its location (can walk from home or is near a restaurant we are eating in). However is a pub is too smoky (usually due to low ceilings or poor ventilation) then it is unpleasant for everyone. I think the answer lies in extractor fans and designated no smoking areas (though preferably not at the back where you have to walk through the smoky parts!).

However, one real bug bear is smoking in restaurants. Last year I ate at Marco Pierre White's Criterion Restaurant and we were the second row of tables back from the door. It was a nice night and the doors were open onto Picadilly...and blowing back the smoke from the table in front of us. About 12-18" above my food was a fug of smoke, it was disgusting. We complained to the management (unfortunately this was not our only gripe, but that is another story) but they said that as they did not operate a No Smoking policy in the restaurant there was nothing they can do about it, they couldn't move us and there was inadequate ventilation in the restaurant other than the doors which were blowing the smoke right back to us. So we ate our tasteless meal whilst breathing in their smoke. Grrrr.