Dana Blake died of stab wounds after an argument at a Manhattan nightclub when he asked two customers to put out their cigarettes.

Mr Blake's brother said that the sweeping law against smoking would cause more tragedy.

A bill to outlaw smoking in British cafes and restaurants has been voted in for a second reading in Parliament in July.

How do you think the law should regulate smoking in public places? Is a blanket ban sensible? Should smoking in restaurants be made illegal in the UK?

This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

Your reaction

Smoking definitely should be banned from restaurants, but not from bars or clubs. Face it, smoking looks cool, and young people need something to do while standing in the middle of some disco, pretending to be bored. Its a traditional rite of passage.
Beatrice, USA

What about the people who work in bars? Everyone deserves the right to work in the safest environment possible. It is not fair that bar staff are dying of lung cancer, because other people are selfish enough to pollute the air of others. I have also seen how aggressive people become when they are told that they can't smoke. Smoking in public enclosed places shows a complete lack of respect for others.
Katherine Mayer, Germany

Why should we as non-smokers have to put up with this vile, disgusting habit? Elaine, England

I think smoking should be banned in all restaurants, cafes and eating establishments. Why should we as non-smokers have to put up with this vile, disgusting habit? There is nothing more off-putting when eating to have somebody light up near you. I do not want my children subjected to this ante-social habit either.
Elaine, England

I smoke a pipe and have done so for about 30 years. However there is nothing more repulsive than smelling tobacco while eating. Here in Queensland smoking is banned in restaurants and shopping malls etc. Great law! It's no hardship to wait until I get home and have a smoke on the veranda.
Derek Still, Australia

I am a smoker. I would gladly give up this habit, but it's just not working out. The tobacco industry gets you hooked on this drug and most people find it very difficult to give up. So before banning smokers from public place, governments should devise a plan for a free cure for the tobacco addiction. (and I mean proper cure - patches and gum don't work).
IL, Russia

It should be left up to the restaurant owner whether smoking is allowed. They are the ones that have to deal with the loss of revenue. Two counties in Atlanta have banned smoking within their immediate city limits and it has been devastating to their businesses. Even though I don't smoke a lot, I do enjoy smoking after dinner and will not go to a restaurant that will not allow smoking.
Kelly Davis, USA

I'm a non-smoker, but most smokers I know also agree with it Tom, California, USA

In California, smoking in bars and restaurants was banned several years ago. At the time, many people complained that it was an invasion of personal rights, that it went too far, and the business owners claimed that their customers would leave. That has not come to pass. I'm a non-smoker, but most smokers I know also agree with it. I'm not saying that the UK should do this. California as a whole has a much lower smoking rate than most other countries, so dissent was probably lower than in, say, New York City. But for health reasons alone, it's been a great idea here.
Tom, California, USA

To treat a smoker as if he or she is now some kind of a leper is an absolute disgrace. Governments have created smokers themselves and now are trying to turn their backs on them.
Charlotte Barrett, Ireland

Smoking is not a fundamental human right, and it is ridiculous to suggest that it is. I am a smoker, but do not smoke in the presence of non-smokers as it is selfish. Plain and simple.
Jane, UK

I smoke about a pack a week, mostly when I am going out. It is just pleasant to have a beer and a cigarette. My colleagues and I found it quite strange in San Francisco that we could only have either a cigarette (outside on the pavement) or our beers (inside).
Cordula, Germany

I find eating fast food in public places more offensive than smoking. Can that be banned too?
Marcus, Hong Kong

I'm amazed at all the people who want to ban smoking from places they don't have to go to Chris, UK

I don't smoke and I don't drive either. I'm amazed at all the people who want to ban smoking from places they don't have to go to (pubs etc) but are quite happy to pollute the entire planet with their cars. You might not want to breathe someone else's smoke, but I don't want to breathe your exhaust fumes!
Chris, UK

Why do some people (smokers) insist upon comparing car fumes with smoking? Car fumes are indisputably unpleasant but the difference is they tend to be outside and to be honest they don't smell nearly as bad as tobacco fumes anyway.
Kevin, UK

I have smoked for 50 years, my partner has never smoked and gets asthmatic if exposed. Therefore most pubs and clubs are out. However on a recent visit to London we went into a pub near Smithfield Market which was packed to the doors. Also in the pub were three ceiling fans which were all turning. The result was that even my partner enjoyed her pub drink. Whilst I agree that places where food is consumed should be smoke free, if the proprietors spent the money on better ventilation the problem would not be so acute.
Norm Owen, UK

Let's try to tolerate one another more Martin Smith, UK

I smoke 20 a day. I don't like to sit in smoky places but appreciate the freedom of being allowed to smoke in them. In restaurants and pubs, smoking is part of whole process for many people. Pressure should be placed on these establishments to fit proper ventilation systems/extractors. I think the health police don't need to go this far. I don't like drunks, but I accept there'll be a fair few in pubs and clubs. Let's try to tolerate one another more.
Martin Smith, UK

The great British institution: The smoky pub. Stricter rules forcing pubs to create more substantial non-smoking areas would certainly get me visiting for a pint more often!
Tubs, UK

Yes, yes, yes, it is a horrid smelly habit, sets a bad example to children and poisons the air for everyone!
Kathy Ridges, England

A lot of non-smokers forget that lots of smokers will probably also be in favour of the new law. I don't like imposing my bad habits on other people.
Andy, Lancashire, England

Smoking has severely restricted my social life Alex, UK

Smoking has severely restricted my social life. If I meet my friends in a pub/club I can't breathe properly the next day and sometimes have to use an inhaler. I am not asthmatic but the volume of smoke I involuntarily inhale when socialising compromises my health. I now go out during the week and try to pick places I know have good air-conditioning or I know will not be too busy. So yes, a public ban seems to be the only answer as many smokers are not willing to accept a compromise or be respectful of those around them.
Mary, Ireland

All this rhetoric from indignant people whining on about banning smoking makes me choke. I assume the majority of these non-smokers also have smokeless cars?
Greg Smith, UK

No I don't think it should be banned in public places. I think public places should be obliged to provide separate areas for smokers and non smokers. This should not be an allocation of tables but a physically separated area so the smoke can't upset those who don't want to inhale it.
Emma Newing, Berkshire, England

As self-discipline is a sign of weakness and good manners effeminate, there is nothing left for those who are nauseated by the smell of tobacco but legislation. I stopped smoking three years ago at the age of 67 but prior to that I tried to confine my habit to as open a space as possible. Restaurants and pubs should either be no smoking areas, or the proprietors should provide separate rooms for smokers to indulge their habit.
Alex, United Kingdom

I live in Delaware which was one of the first states in the US to ban smoking in public places. I am all in favour of it. It is a pleasure to eat in a bar now, instead of being faced with smoke wafting over from the smoking areas. People take their kids to restaurants now. The biggest benefit is, however, not being greeted by "Smoking or non?" from the host/hostess at the door.
Nigel Pond, Brit living in the USA

Surely anyone getting self-righteous about smokers endangering the health of others has to give up their cars, aerosol sprays and fridge freezers before being taken seriously?
Jack, UK

We can't suppress other people's freedom for our own convenience Herbert, Silver Spring, USA

I am a non-smoker and this law does not affect me directly. However I believe that people should be able to smoke freely in a social place like bars. I think non-smokers who are disturbed by second-hand smoking should find a non-smoking bar or stay home. We can't suppress other people's freedom for our own convenience.
Herbert , Silver Spring, USA

Speaking as an ex-smoker who knows how difficult it is to give up, the solution to this is very, very simple. Let the business owners decide whether they want to ban smoking in their premises or not. If they do, then people will go there as a result. If they don't ban it then smokers will go there. So long as people are aware of the individual pub/club/restaurant policy, then does it really matter? At least everybody has a choice then.
Jeremy, UK

Total bans on smoking just shows people are not able to think for themselves Claus, Saipan, USA

I'm a chain smoker myself, but in places where smoking is not wanted I simply don't smoke. Every smoker should tolerate the wishes of non-smokers. Total bans on smoking just shows that in modern society everything has to be put into laws as the people are not able any more to think for themselves.
Claus, Saipan, USA

They should ban smoking in public places and any other habit that involuntarily affects other people. If smokers need their nicotine fix why can't they chew nicotine gum instead?
Andy, England

Ban smoking in all places where they sell food. Smokers are so selfish they don't realise (or don't care!) what misery they cause when they light up when others are trying to enjoy their food. They will never be persuaded to stop - legislate!
John Dunn, Hong Kong

Ban it everywhere Sue, Netherlands

As a Brit living in the Netherlands, where no smoking areas simply do not exist, I think this ban is a great idea. People say that it is a fundamental right for people to smoke - it may be - but surely it is my fundamental right not to breathe in their smoke. Ban alcohol, sure, but me sitting in the bar drinking 16 vodkas does absolutely no harm to the person sitting next to me does it? Not so with cigarettes.

Ban it everywhere - if people want to smoke, they can do it in their own living room. I'm sick of smelling like a giant ashtray. As for the case of the poor bouncer, it could have happened anywhere, but surely it shouldn't have been his responsibility to police the streets?
Sue, Netherlands

I live in New York and am very glad that Mayor Bloomberg has introduced the ban. Everyone I know is for it. I hope the UK will follow suit. Smokers obviously don't care about their own health, so why should we expect them to care about ours!? The government has a duty to take long overdue action to protect the majority. Finally, while I sympathise with the family of Dana Blake, the blame for their son's death lies solely with the killers.
Jonathan Michaud, New York, USA/UK

Don't blame New York's law, blame the violent nature of the two arrested Alisdair Matheson, Scotland

A serious concern ought to be for bar staff. I worked in a bar as a student and on returning home even my socks smelt of smoke. It cannot be good for those working in such an environment. Lastly, the thugs who stabbed the bouncer would probably have reacted violently no matter what the issue was. Don't blame New York's law, blame the violent nature of the two arrested.
Alisdair Matheson, Scotland

We're extremely happy now the good weather has arrived as we can go to the pub again - and sit outside away from the dirty, smoke-filled atmosphere inside. I really object to having my life cramped by smokers' addictive, selfish behaviour. If a car belches smoke the police can remove it from the roads, but if a person does the same we have no recourse. When I find a pub with a no smoking room they'll have my business!
Brian, UK

Neither side can claim a moral high ground Tommy G, UK

Smoking is a fundamental human right but carries with it the responsibility not to pollute other people's air. Neither side can claim a moral high ground, as both must share the same space. We don't want to promote lung cancer in our children, but neither do we want to encourage this nanny state to lock down our lives even further.
Tommy G, UK

I've never smoked, but I think the New York laws are too strict. Ban smoking in restaurants, trains and shops, but banning it in pubs and clubs is going a bit too far. Why not ban alcohol there as well? It's as bad for your health...
Carla, UK

Carla is missing the point when comparing cigarettes and alcohol in terms of harm: in "normal" use and doses, alcohol does not harm other people, whereas smoking does. Also, Tommy, as a law student, I'd be genuinely interested in how smoking is a "fundamental human right".
Alan W, UK

Even if smoking in restaurants/bars isn't outlawed, the practice will be soon be banned by the premises owners anyway. This will be to prevent huge personal injury claims by non-smoking patrons and staff against the owners for the effects of passive smoking.
John P, UK

This is totalitarian. I don't smoke, I don't like smoke but I accept people's freedom to smoke. Carbon monoxide and lead are far more damaging than cigarette smoke, shall we ban cars? While we're at it let's ban breaking wind in public too.
Jack Delawney, London

YES! The one thing I hated when I visited Britain is that I inhaled enough second-hand smoke to make me a pack-a-day smoker. How can a country horrified by GM foods (whose harm has yet to be proven) suck down so many cancer-causing cigarettes?
Mary, USA

In restaurants, cinemas and public transport definitely. I've nothing against smokers, but they are a minority and shouldn't have the right to force their unwanted fumes onto people using public amenities.
Andrew, UK

The UK should follow the Californians and New Yorkers in banning smoking from all public places. Why should smokers be allowed to pollute the air and endanger innocent non-smokers?
Parit, UK