A British association that speaks for landlords has confirmed that a record number of public houses have closed since the smoking ban and unemployment among bar staff is at a record level. They say it's not all down to cheap supermarket booze. A lot of public houses have built luxury smoking areas adjusted to the properties to encourage smokers to return, gone are the open air bus shelter smoking areas.

I think it's fantastic, I also think the extra 11 pence on a packet of twenty this week is brilliant.

As a smoker and a drinker my friends and I just hop onto a cheap flight to mainland Europe and buy a load of cigarettes (19.00 Euros for 200) and a stock of booze and bring it home. House parties are on the increase and much better fun.

Shopkeepers are losing out on cigarette sales, landlords are closing up shop and all the moaners about smoking are paying the extra taxes the government slip onto other goods to re coup their increasing losses.

It doesn't annoy me and I get a cheap holiday out of it too !