I smoked cigarettes for 40 years until recently. I must admit I enjoyed it and I still miss it. But even when I was still smoking I had stopped smoking in my cars and other enclosed spaces. And it in turn cut back my smoking. Even though I was still a smoker I even found smokey atmospheres offensive so I really understood how non-smokers disliked it even more than me. I wouldn't have been at all offended by any sign that suggested smokers kept it outside or at least at a minimum. It really depends on how it is written. If it comes across as a polite request then most people would respectfully abide by it without taking any offense. It's nothing for a smoker to slip outside if they really have to. In California all bars are now non-smoking which the singers in my band are very happy about because it had a very detrimental effect on their voices. Even though smoking is now banned in bars there is a slight loophole in the law that allows bars where employees are all the family that owns and runs the bar to make the choice themselves. We played a couple of nights in a LA bar that allowed smoking but the whole band made the decision to stop working there. We decided that we didn't need the job bad enough to work in a smokey atmosphere. Of course this is a rarity in LA now but would be harder in a state where all bars allow smoking.





[This message has been edited by Nigel (edited 02-26-2005).]