I know quite a few licencees and they have told me that since the ban trade has been affected. At first there was no difference as the smokers wanted to go to the pubs in order to moan and groan and stand outside in the sunshine, the novelty has now worn out . People are now drinking at home more especially as it gets colder. However some pubs that rely mainly on food sales have found that trade has slightly risen. 10-12 million people smoke in the UK
A person's age, whether they visit pubs and even their marital status is closely connected to the likelihood that they smoke.
By age group, it is 20- to 24-year-olds who are most likely to light up, with about a third considered smokers. As people get older they become less likely to smoke, with the rate falling to 14% for the over 60s.
About four out of 10 people who visit pubs smoke, and there is a strong link between smoking and social group, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Manual workers and their families are almost twice as likely to smoke as those with a managerial or professional background (31% compared with 17%). And people living together are twice as likely to smoke as those who are married (35% compared with 18%).
Across the country, the greatest proportion of smokers is found in the North East (30%).