No one is holding folk to ransom. It's not on the minds of most who might affect it one way or other in pubs.

Of course, if you feel inclined to blame the smokers who are no longer finding the pubs they used pleasant places to be in, you should also be blaming the masses of non-smokers who it was suggested would start going to pubs as they would find it more pleasant but (at least as yet) haven't. They have just as much say in the success or otherwise of folk friendly pubs.