By Caroline Ryan BBC News Online health staff

But he is not a drinker, and he doesn't work behind a bar.

Instead, he is a singer, performing in pubs and clubs around the UK each weekend.

He says people who work in bars are exposed to high levels of second-hand smoke - as recent research has shown - but says things are as bad, if not worse, for the entertainers who work there

When its really bad, I can barely breathe Brian Alford

"In the morning after I've doing a show, I have to clear my chest. And when I'm singing I have to keep a cough sweet in my mouth so that I can sing clearly."

During the 1960s, Brian, who now lives in Lincoln, was one half of The Allison's, who wrote and performed the Top 10 hit 'Are You Sure' after being spotted in a talent contest to find "the new Cliff Richard" - which was judged by the man himself.

The song later came second in the 1961 Eurovision Song Contest - one of the UK's highest ranking results.

Non-smoking venues 'rare'

It was after this overnight success that Brian, and his partner Colin Day, began touring the UK's pubs and clubs.

"We were doing two shows a night, seven days a week.

"At first we were performing at big venues, so whether they were smoky or not wasn't clear.

"Then the bookings changed and we were playing in ballrooms and working men's clubs and pubs, and I became more aware of the smoky atmospheres."

Brian, now 64, has continued to perform, as The Allisons or alone, throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s.

He says: "It's rare to find a non-smoking venue. When its really bad, I can barely breathe.

"The problem as a singer is that you're getting more smoke than the audience.

"If you're on a tall stage, it's like singing in a cloud because all the smoke has risen up."

Union support

Trumpeter - and non-smoker - Roy Castle who died of lung cancer in 1994 believed his illness was contracted through working in smoky jazz clubs during the early part of his career.

Brian said that so far, his health hasn't appeared to suffer long-term. But he adds: "I am very concerned about the effects of all the smoke on me, and wish there was a way of finding out if it has caused me harm, which might not come to light for some time."

Brian's concerns are echoed by the Musician's Union.

At last year's conference, members voted for smoking to be banned in areas of public entertainment, such as pubs, clubs and restaurants, as the dangers of passive smoking become more evident.