London Edges Towards New York Style Smoking Ban

British authorities are set to outlaw smoking tobacco in restaurants after politicians overwhelmingly voted to introduce a ban. Labour MP Gareth Thomas added the anti-tobacco bill to an upcoming licensing bill last week, and his bill was passed by 115 votes to 43, on its first reading.

Meanwhile in New York, media reports suggest the city's new all-out smoking ban has slashed bar takings by over 20% and created a new cultural phenomenon of smokers huddling on the streets, outside bars. According to the Guardian's man-in-New York Gary Young, the ban has also divided smokers into three broad categories, rule breaking 'rebels', 'the desperate' (who abandon their drinks and dates) and 'twitchers'.

"Twitchers are those who are using the ban to try and give up, or who are not so hooked that they want to interrupt their night for it," he said.

"They say they are fine, but the conversation soon wanders to issues of civil liberties, police states and what amendments of the constitutions smoking should come under."

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