Edinburgh’s bingo halls are seeming to be coping well after the effects of the smoking ban, and one of the larger two bingo halls in the city has even seen an increase in the number of players attending bingo sessions. Some even say that they prefer the smokeless environment and like going outside for a smoke as they meet more people that way, and this has started a whole new trend, it is called smirting!

Though bingo clubs in Edinburgh have done ok in the wake of the smoking ban, apparently the pubs are not faring too terribly well, with one popular bar in Hanover Street, reporting that it is suffering losses in takings of as much as £1,500 per week with virtually no day time trade to speak of.

Other pub owners are reporting losses of up to £800 per week and are living fear of having to close down, while yet others are saying that the ban has not affected their trade at all and more non-smokers who used to stay away from the smoky pits of hell previously, are now venturing into pubs and forming a new customer base. This is particularly true of the family-friendly pubs that serve meals.