In England, the ban landed on July 1, 2007. In Scotland, they were a bit ahead of the curve, puffing their last indoor cigarette on March 26, 2006. Wales and Northern Ireland followed suit in 2007, creating a smoke-free United Kingdom by summer.
It feels like ancient history now, but imagine the sheer chaos of that first Friday night. Landlords nervously wiping down ashtrays, smokers staring at pub doors like they’d lost a best friend. Pure nostalgia for the days when a “smoking section” was just a myth.
