I don't want my children to be close to people who fart, people who don't wash properly, people who look a bit peculiar, people who tell rude jokes in a loud voice, people who have annoying laughs, people who might belong to dubious religious or political groups, and speakers of French.

Ban them all!

You don't want your kids near you?

The day all of those things have immediate effects like exacerbating the effects of asthma and leading to other health risks, let us know.

I know you've got idealogical reasons for this, not to mention looking for zingers, but there's a very clear health issue here that no amount of funny relativism can make go away.

Let it go.

Bet you don't go out much then uh?

Not since he got engaged to MathNut. Even feigned illness in order to stay under the sheets.

I bet they don't share a cigarette after... you know...

If non-smokers want to be in smoke free pubs, got to smoke free pubs, they exist, but are unpopular, because they're full of sanctimonious non-smokers.

I realise you are simply trying inject some humour/controversy into this thread, but farts, not washing properly, looking peculiar, telling rude joke in loud voices and all the other habits you quote have yet to be medically proved to kill one. Smoking and passive smoking have...

And in 20 years we'll all be living in a world full of sanctimonious people??

Or that's what the vocal minority of smokers would like for you to think.

The owners of pubs and restaurants that I know have told me that during the smoking ban here in Geneva last year any loss of clients was minimal and temporary. The clients that stayed away were replaced by others. In fact, a bigger problem became the noise from the smokers outside. The fact of the matter is, many owners would make their establishments smoke free, but until the government stepped in it was much easier to allow a few people to smoke than occasionally risk the indignation of a drunk nicotine starved guy demanding his right to smoke and causing a ruckus.

If the survival of your establishment is primarily based on your clients being able to smoke, then that's a crappy business model. Just as having a bar that solely based around it being non-smoking. After the ban, it will simply be a non-issue.

Extending your logic ... There are smoke-free countries and there are smoking countries. Exercise your freedom and move to one that isn't full of sanctimonious twats.

I'm sorry, but I simply don't buy this, most bar owners I know would simply throw someone out who gets unruly.

Pubs are unhealthy places, the alcohol you drink in there is also bad for you, drunks also affect those around them. Pubs don't like to throw out smokers because smokers are their best customers, the anti smoking crowd turn up for a couple of shandys and leave early.

Yep, and here I am in Switzerland.

Well, better get packing ...

Luckily, I don't live in Zurich.

Great. Now I'll be sitting in the restaurant all by myself while all my friends are outside smoking.

I'll second that, Guernsey has been smoke-free for a while an the only pub that shut down because of it was the one that had been struggling for a while anyway...

Because it's full of smoke!!!

No, but we'll be ruled over by them.

If only it was as simple as flicking a light-switch. The risk of violence aside, one guy getting unruly surrounded by 3 first time customers means 3 first customers that likely won't return because they don't like the athmosphere. One of the oldest strawmen used by the pro-smoker crowd, find a new one please. And there will always be violence in pubs, but a smoker not getting his way is one of the few that you can always count on, from what I've been told. But that's besides the issue, the real issue is the immediate and ever present health danger that is smoke. No, smokers are occasionally their best customers. Please don't think it's some kind of general rule. Six months after the beginning smoking ban, ask the owner of your favorite pub how much he misses you being able to smoke in there.