One law for the Scots, the Welsh, the Northern Irish: another for the English

How many countries have banned smoking?

Five - Ireland (the republic), Norway, Sweden, New Zealand and Bhutan. These countries have a total ban on smoking in all enclosed public spaces, including bars and restaurants. The only exceptions are, for example, prisons.

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Are those the only countries where smoking is banned?

No. Italy, Canada, and some states in the US, such as California, Minnesota and Florida, have partial bans in most public spaces with exemptions for bars. In Italy smoking is permitted in restaurants but only in separate, ventilated rooms. Many cafes have decided the cost of meeting the regulations is prohibitive and have gone totally smoke free.

What is the position in the UK?

Scotland has passed legislation to introduce a total ban from 26 March next year. Smoking will be illegal in all enclosed public places, including bars and restaurants, with rare exceptions such as psychiatric units and prisons. Northern Ireland is to introduce a total ban from 2007. But, in the absence of devolution, the decision was taken by Shaun Woodward, junior Northern Ireland minister. He is a Labour MP, representing St Helens South, and his party does not support an outright ban for England. Wales has also voted for a total ban to be introduced in 2007.

What about England?

Of the four countries of the UK, England is the only one going for a partial ban, due to be introduced in April 2007, which will permit smoking in pubs that don't serve food. The strongest advocate in the Cabinet of this approach is John Reid, former health secretary and MP for Lanarkshire, who argued that his compatriots enjoyed a pint with a fag and it would be vexatious for the Government to deny them the pleasure.

How will the ban in England be enforced?

There has been much debate about the definition of food. A sandwich is food but a packet of crisps is not. A sandwich may escape the food tag if it is bought in by the pub rather than made on the premises. A Cellophane-wrapped pie may be classed as non-food while it sits in the glass cabinet on the bar, but becomes food once it is heated in the microwave. An early suggestion was that pubs should be designated food-serving if they had a kitchen. The Government has promised to sort out the confusion with a set of guidelines, unlikely to be simple.

How are pubs likely to respond to the proposed partial ban?

A survey by Cancer Research UK and Ash, the anti-smoking charity, found 29 per cent of pubs do not serve food. But this proportion was set to rise as high as 50 per cent in the poorest areas as pubs said if they were forced to choose between serving food and allowing smoking they would opt for the latter.

Is it dangerous to have a smoke with a drink in the evening?

Surveys show a third of people wrongly believe light smoking is safe. A 30-year study published in the journal Tobacco Control showed that smoking up to four cigarettes a day tripled the risk of heart disease or lung cancer, and the effect was greatest in women.

What about the bar workers?

Non-smokers who have to breathe other people's smoke are at risk. Passive smoking is estimated to cause 617 deaths a year in the UK among people exposed at work.