A quite significant change...

... took place in England 10 years ago.  On July 1st 2007, it became illegal to smoke in coffee shops, pubs and other public indoor spaces.

Of course, all these things have unintended consequences. If, as a non-smoker, you want to sit outside such establishments on a nice summer day, you can expect to suffer smoke from all directions, including vile chemical vapours, and dirty over-flowing ash-trays. And smokers still rarely look happy.

But, on the whole, it is still much better than it was.