Smoking in pubs and bars in Wales is now illegal after the ban on smoking in enclosed public places came into force this morning. Wales is the second part of the UK to introduce the ban and anyone breaking the law faces a hefty fine, well, our reporter Bridgid Nzekwu was in Penarth, just outside Cardiff. Bridgid.

Richard, I am in the Windsor Arms in Penarth, the newly smoke-free zone, er there are, (smoke,) no smoking signs all over the pub and not a single ashtray, that you can still get a whiff of cigarettes because of course until last night, people could still light up here. Now I'm told this is a somewhat reluctant smoke-free zone because the majority of the customers that come here are smokers, nevertheless it's another landmark day for the anti-tobacco lobby.
It's beer without the cigarettes inside this pub in Cardiff and others across Wales. The total ban on smoking enforced from 6 AM.

I think that a really good thing that ban. They should have happened years ago.

From now on ,there is a 50 pounds on the spot fine for anyone caught lighting up in enclosed public places. Pubs, restaurants, offices and public transport all covered by the ban.

I don't think it's, eh, right that other people should be breathing out other people's smoke, but they don't smoke themselves.

But I think it is a bit unfair that smokers haven't got somewhere, why don't they have smoking pubs and no smoking pubs? Then it's your choice when you come up to street whether you're going to a smoking pub or a no smoking pub.

This pub sliced off half of its roof to ensure it wouldn't lose its smoking customers. A heater times to the length of a cigarette aimed at giving smokers some comfort.

I just think of this, having to come outside, um, if I have a beer, I'd only have a cigarette as well, so I would definitely be given up.

6,000 Welsh people die from smoking related diseases each year; passive smoking kills around 400 more. the Welsh Assembly hopes the ban will reduce the number of smokers by 32,000. It's been hailed a success in Scotland--the number of smokers falling by 1.5 percent since their ban came into force a year ago. But the benefits to health have come at a cost for many businesse. Since the ban, overall drink sales in Scotland are down 11 percent, food sales have fallen by 3 percent, pubs and clubs have found that visits by regular customers are also down. As a result, 34 percent have cut their costs by reducing staff numbers.

I think sadly that, there is , you know, a likelihood that there will be job losses across Wales, and as it says it is properly a relatively short-term thing , you know, a year or so and it should start to come back again, but in the short term you know trade declines, then, you know, one of the biggest costs is labor. So unfortunately, there will be job losses in Wales.

Could I have an ashtray?
Unfortunately we're non-smoking at the moment, man. You have to go outside.

Today's ban, a glimpse of what England can expect in 3 months' time. Now Wales has introduced this ban 3 months ahead of England. So all eyes are going to be very much on how it works, what the impact is on the economy, and of course, how many smokers actually quit. English pub landlords then have a bit more time to prepare themselves, so probably be very relieved that the ban will come into force when the weather is a bit warmer so smokers can easily smoke outside. The ban comes into force in England on the first of July.

Bridgid, Nzekwu, in Penarth.

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1. hefty: adj. big, powerful; heavy, weighty