Don't believe everything you read...

As all good smokers know, the first modern, nationwide tobacco ban was imposed by the Nazi Party in every German university, post office, military hospital and Nazi Party office, under the auspices of Dr Karl Astel's Institute for Tobacco Hazards Research, created in 1941 under direct orders from Adolf Hitler himself. Where Germany leads, England follows...

Personally, I think that in terms of pubs & clubs, it should have been left to the 'Personal License Holders' & 'Premises Supervisors' discretion but with the obligation that the exterior of the buildings were clearly signposted 'Smoking' or 'Non-smoking'. Anyway on a free vote of the House of Commons voted for an all out ban. Today, at considerable cost, not to mention general aggravation, work started on building the new smoking area at my pub.

I will post some pictures when (if) it is (ever) finished...

By the way, one very anti-social, hitherto unthought of affect of all this is the spread of those exterior patio heaters. As a heat source, they do more damage to the environment in terms of CO2 emissions than just about any other form of domestic heating...