So far Ireland, Norway, New Zealand and Bhutan have done it. And several areas of America, Canada and Australia have similar laws.

Within the UK itself, Wales and Scotland have already done it and Northern Ireland will implement its own laws on April 30.

Health campaigners say a ban on smoking in public will lead to a substantial reduction in the number of deaths from heart disease and cancer, and the numbers of people suffering from the effects of second-hand smoke.

ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) claims that in Scotland, just five months after the ban, a study found improvements in the lung function of people working in bars.

But not everyone welcomes such a move. Pub companies have revealed that trade will be affected, and money will need to be spent on building outdoor smoking shelters to continue to allow smoking.

Thwaites brewery, one of Blackburn's largest employers, has revealed it will spend more than £3million preparing its estate of 400 plus pubs after company representatives travelled to several countries looking at examples.

Managing director Brian Hickman said: "We have been looking at smoking as an on-going project for more than 12 months, ever since it looked evident that was the route the Government would go down.

"We appointed different people forming a bit of a working party. Recently we have been through the entire pub estate and categorised each of them, into whether we are going to do anything with them or not.

"Should we be looking at the extreme in terms of long term future? Is the smoking ban going to a be a death knell for that business?

"At the other end of the scale it's looking at fairly big investments where an external smoking shelter would only be part of an overall project which would probably reposition the pub in the marketplace. The majority of our estate falls in the middle which means doing some sort of smoking shelter externally at the pub but not a big amount of money.

"With the number of pubs it's a significant total spend of about £3.5million over a two year period. That includes the whole spectrum of schemes."

The investment is something an organisation like Thwaites can budget for, but what about smaller traders?

Eileen Brennan, secretary of the Pioneer Working Men's Club, Bradshaw Row, Church, said : "We currently have a room for smokers but we haven't decided what we will do when the ban comes into place. I suppose everyone will just go outside and we will have to put something up for them there. We are due to discuss it at the next committee meeting.

"I am a smoker and I am not looking forward to the ban. I think it is ridiculous. We are worried we will lose custom, but hopefully our regulars will stay with us.

"I can't see it stopping people going out for a good time - there will just be a bit more complaining when it's cold and raining."

Last February ministers were given a free vote by the Government to decide on the smoking ban, and how far it should go.

Some argued that pubs and clubs not serving food should be exempt from the legislation, but a total ban was decided on.

The move will mean nearly all enclosed public spaces including offices, factories, pubs, bars, and company cars will have to become smoke-free.

Peter Byrne, head of employment law at Forbes Solicitors, has advised firms that employers should consult with staff on what to do, rather than just enforcing a ban.

He said: "A negotiated policy is more likely to be acceptable to employees and there may be possibly contentious issues to determine, such as what time is to be allowed for smoking breaks for workers who will have to go outside to smoke and arrangements regarding any resulting litter."

Thwaites's Bonny Inn, Longsight Road, Osb-aldeston, has been a completely non-smoking venue for two months - a decision by tenant William Stopford.

He claims not to have had one complaint over the policy, and has seen his business grow in popularity with non-smokers.

He said: "We gradually phased it out over a few months, firstly with the bar, then minimising the area in the restaurant and finally removing smoking sections altogether."

A pub in Huncoat has also embraced the changes. Paul Brankin, landlord at the Whitaker's Arms in Burnley Road, has erected one of the first smoking shelters in the area and his pub is smoke-free when meals are served.

He said: "We just thought it was something that needed to be done so we got on with it.

"Myself and my wife are actually smokers but we focus on food in the pub and thought that it is important to customers that we go smoke-free.

"The benefit is already there to see and we've had a lot of positive comments."

Mr Hickman added: "It's a great opportunity for the pubs to attract new customers, particularly families, with a food and drink experience and other activities that were not thought of as suitable for the venue before.

"It's very commendable that the Government is trying to look at people smoking and preventing the dangers of passive smoking. But at the end of the day there's an element of personal choice.

"If people want to exercise their right to smoke they ought to be able to do so in some degree of comfort.

A spokesman for Rolls-Royce, which employs about 1,000 staff at its Barnoldswick site, said the company introduced a smoke-free policy several years ago.

He said: "Individuals are permitted to smoke within the perimeter fence but are only allowed to do so in the smoking booths provided for this purpose."

Chris Allen, head of trading standards and environmental health at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said the local authority included information about going smoke free when business rates brochures were sent out.

"We have held seminars for over 100 businesses in the licensed trade and we have responded to about 20 or so businesses which have contacted us directly for advice."