Buenchico...we probably agree on lots of things you know...we must both try harder !
National agreement would be nice, although now that Britain has so much devolution of different kinds, its not as easy to achieve as it used to be. The smoking in public places legislation was introduced first in Scotland, then here in Wales, and eventually in England ( not sure about NI ) As long as it is done, I don't really care how.
Blackadder...I most certainly do remember Harold and Tony with their pipes, but I fail to see how it is germane to this discussion.
Like most people of my class and age, I am an ex-smoker. I started as most working-class boys did, at about 14-15, by copying my elders and betters, as most adults that I came into contact with smoked in the 50's and 60's. We had a Woodwork teacher, who I worshiped, that smoked and taught us how to use a plane and a chisel at the same time ! My Physics teacher was also the same and would send one of the boys out during lessons, to get a new pack of pipe tobacco from his parked Rover. I gave up smoking when I was 25 and if I hadn't have done, I would be one of those poor people that you see, in the Newsagents every morning, spending the thick end of £20 a day on fags. At the age of 61, I actually doubt that I would still be alive now, if I hadn't quit.
What I want to see is that children are not exposed to cigarettes and smoking any more than is necessary. I want a generation of children to grow up differently to what I was used to, in that they are not taught to smoke, overtly or covertly, by adults that they look up to and respect. A good example is everything to young kids growing up.