can I chuck my 2-penny worth into this?

truth to be told, I welcome the smoking ban. I smoke (heavily, I may add), but nonetheless I still hate coming home after a night out and smelling like an ashtray. Coming from Guernsey, when they had the smoking ban for a few years now, I got used to the fact that if you are out for a pint with your friends and want to have a fag, you just go outside, have your fag, and then go back to your pint. Granted, sometimes is a bit annoying when you are having a chat and someone in the party say "hold your thoughts, I'll be back in a sec", but is not the end of the world, you soon find out that even the non smokers will come outside with you so you can carry on the conversation... but then it depends on your friends I suppose...

And if you are out for dinner, I don't buy the fact that is seen as "acceptable" to smoke only when everyone around the table is finished eating... it shouldn't be acceptable at all, what about the table next to yours? and for the same reason separate "smoking areas" are not the solution either, it'd be like a having a peeing area in a swimming pool. Separate rooms altogether are even worst, I've been in those "smoking cubicle" at Zurich airport and they are worst than any pub I've been to, you don't need a night out to smell like an ashtray, just a couple of minutes in one of those and you'll reek for the whole flight.

Moral of the story? we should all welcome the smoking ban (smokers and non smokers alike), it will make everybody's pints more enjoyable and "going out for a fag" has yet to kill anyone

now I'm bracing for the groans...