How Britain enforces smoking ban

I have followed the debate regarding the smoking ban in the letters page in the Times of Malta with interest. Some time ago I was not alone in being surprised to see that the UK smoking ban in pubs and bars had an almost 100 per cent observance from day one, a situation that continues to the present day. I don't know how the law in Malta was framed but here there are nominal fines for the smokers (difficult to prove) but very heavy fines for the proprietor who allows his customers to smoke on the premises (much easier to prove). The enforcement of the ban was made easy for the bar owners as, by a quirk of English law, a licensee can refuse to serve, and can order off the premises, any customer. He doesn't even have to give a reason and failure to comply results in the police being called.

The result has been a smoke-free environment in the establishments, albeit a bit crowded round the entrance doors where the smokers congregate!