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Andrew Woodcock, PA Chief Political Correspondent

A ban on smoking in public places came into effect in England today from 6am, spelling an end to drinkers having a cigarette with their pint in pubs, bars and clubs.

England is the final part of the UK to introduce a ban, after Wales and Northern Ireland in April and Scotland last March. The Republic of Ireland made the move three years ago.
 
Newly-appointed Health Secretary Alan Johnson hailed the ban as a big step towards a healthier population.
Virtually all enclosed public places are now smokefree; this includes offices, warehouses, factories, pubs, cafes, railway stations, working vehicles and leisure centres.

Mr Johnson said: ``Labour has taken action to protect people from smoke in their workplace, pub or cafe.
``Only by tackling the causes of illnesses will we be able to improve health inequalities and save lives.
``A smokefree country will improve the health of thousands of people, reduce the temptation to smoke and encourage smokers to quit.''

Owners and managers of pubs, clubs and cafes are legally bound to enforce the ban and face fines of up to £2,500 if they fail to do so.

Anyone caught smoking illegally will be given a fixed penalty notice of £50 - reduced to £30 if paid in 15 days - or fined up to £200 if they are prosecuted and convicted by a court.

One of the world's leading experts on the effect of tobacco yesterday said the ban could prevent up to half a million deaths a year.

Professor Sir Richard Peto made the forecast based on the experience of the Republic of Ireland, where cigarette sales fell by around 17% after its ban.

A similar trend in England could lead to 1.5 million people quitting smoking, he said, adding: ``Half of all smokers are going to be killed by tobacco. If a million people stop smoking who wouldn't otherwise have done so then maybe you'll prevent half a million deaths.''

A recent survey conducted by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) found that England's 6.2 million regular pub-goers are likely to go out drinking more often once the ban comes in.

Of the regular smokers who took part, 68% claimed the new laws would not change their pub visiting habits and only 3% said they would make them not go to the pub at all.

A further 840,000 people who currently never go to a pub said they would do so after smoking was banned.
But market researchers Nielsen estimated that beer sales at pubs, bars and clubs in England and Wales could drop by 200 million pints per year.

The volume of all drinks sold by licensed premises in Scotland are down 5% year-on-year following the ban north of the border, with beer taking the biggest hit of around 36 million pints.

The British Beer and Pub Association said the figures matched its expectations.

Communications director Mark Hastings said: ``It will lead to a small decline in beer sales in pubs. That is the clear evidence from Ireland, Scotland and other countries that have smoking bans.

``At the same time, the result for the pub sector overall is a marginal increase in overall sales because it leads to a significant increase in sales of food in pubs.''

There was last-ditch opposition to the ban from die-hard smokers.

Bob Beech, landlord of the Wellington Arms in Southampton, Hampshire, tried to get his pub declared the embassy for the uninhabited Caribbean island of Redonda so it would be immune.

The pub was declared a consulate for Redonda by the island's official cardinal Edward Elder, a regular drinker at the pub.

But the Foreign Office ruled that Redonda was a territory of Antigua and Barbuda and was not entitled to an embassy or high commission in the UK.

Celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson branded the ban an ``infringement of civil liberties'' and pledged that pro-smoking campaigners would ``fight on''.

And singer Joe Jackson, who quit New York because of a clampdown on smoking there, said: ``Public health now has powers which are unaccountable, putting it beyond the democratic process and allowing it to interfere in people's lives in more and more egregious ways every day, and they are being given a completely free ride.

``You can make a self-righteous moral argument about someone inflicting something on you that you don't like. I have things inflicted on me every day that I don't like. I happen to be allergic to dogs, I'm not screaming for a total dog ban.''

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb welcomed the implementation of the ban.

``The ban will bring significant public health benefits, not least to people employed in smoky workplaces,'' he said.
 
``Evidence from other countries with smoking bans shows that they can work successfully without oppressive enforcement and we anticipate that this will be the case in England as well.''

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb said: ``The Liberal Democrats supported the smoking ban when it passed through Parliament and we welcome its implementation.

``The ban will bring significant public health benefits, not least to people employed in smoky workplaces.

``Evidence from other countries with smoking bans shows that they can work successfully without oppressive enforcement and we anticipate that this will be the case in England as well.''