In the UK the laws the goverment are proposing mean that smoking will only
be banned in pubs which serve food and this won't come in for a 4 or so
years. Unfortunately it's not the blanket ban the vast majority of people
want.  It's typical kowtowing to big industry and cigarette company backed
groups like Forest who keep bleeting on, oblivious to the irony, about the
rights of smokers.
Governements do change their policies continually, so hopefully ours will
see sense like those in Ireland and NZ, or there is the possibilty local
authorities will override the rules as they enforce health and safety on the
ground.  Liverpool did this recently.  The bandwagon to get a ban like yours
is well and truly rolling.
I spend 5 months travelling around NZ (Cape Reinga to Bluff!) - looks like
another reason to visit your fantastic country again!

chris

I'm in California, the most smoke-free place in the planet. Smoking is not
allowed in ANY public building, and even some outdoor public places.

I like to travel, but it's hard to go somewhere and have to breathe
second-hand smoke, something we have been free of here for years now.

I would say that the U.S. is probably better in general than most other
countries, as far as more restrictions on smoking in public places, but
California is far ahead of most of the U.S. as well.