Smoking is now recognised and accepted as being incredibly unhealthy. There was once a time when smoking was glamorized in adverts, and you were able to smoke inside public places, and even on planes. However, a lot is now known about how dangerous this habit is, so it's no surprise one of the worlds biggest killers is now banned in so many places, in so many different countries. The UK has some of the strictest laws on smoking in the world, but how do other countries compare?

Spain

Spain has a complete ban on smoking indoors, apart from certain smoking clubs. You also aren't allowed to smoke in playgrounds and in the grounds of health facilities like hospitals and doctors surgeries. Smoking is also prohibited on school grounds and on the grounds other educational facilities.  You are currently still able to smoke outside a lot of the bars in Spain.

Slovakia

Slovakia has some pretty odd smoking laws which could be considered quite vague. For example you can't smoke in the workplace in areas where people who don't smoke are working. There are also still smoking areas in bars and eateries which means passive smoking inside is still an issue.

Austria

Austria still has smoking rooms in a lot of indoor places, the only condition of those smoking rooms being the fact the smoke within them must not be seeping into the surrounding non-smoking areas. If you have an office that customers do not visit you are allowed to smoke inside it. And bars still have smoking areas which take up about 50% of the bar. There are future plans in Austria to ban smoking in cafes and restaurants before 2018.

Germany

Smoking in Germany is still allowed in most bars, however, certain areas enforce smoking bans on bars and eateries that fall within their radius. The German government are currently discussing a complete smoking ban in all businesses that fall under the hospitality sector.

Australia

Australia has some extremely strict anti-smoking laws and are much further ahead with some of their laws than we are in the UK. For example, certain areas in Australia have banned people smoking in the car if children are with them in the vehicle. This is a law that will potentially come into play in the UK very soon. In Australia you cannot currently smoke in eateries, bars and any enclosed public places and some areas have banned smoking on beaches and sports areas. To add to their strict approach to abolishing smoking, Australia also have one of the world's most expensive price tags on a pack of 20 cigarettes which cost well over £10.00 per pack.

Ireland

Ireland led the UK with it's approach to anti-smoking laws by introducing a complete smoking ban in 2004. This made smoking indoors at work completely illegal and subject to a fine of over £2000 pounds. Scotland followed closely behind in 2006 and various countries have followed suit and replicated the law since.

USA

Smoking laws across the USA vary greatly and tend to be enforced locally rather than by the state. The laws can change from one town to another, however generally laws seem to be more relaxed in the South. In California and New York you can expect to see some of the strictest anti-smoking laws in the world with some laws prohibiting smoking within a certain distance from certain buildings. Lots of outdoor parks also do not allow smoking within them. In New York nearly all beaches, swimming pools, pedestrian shopping areas and boardwalks do not allow smoking, and the minimum age for buying cigarettes is 21.

Proving how much the laws vary, in New York you cannot smoke on a beach and yet further South in places like Texas, Oklahoma and Georgia you can enter a bar smoking and not be questioned about it, in fact many bars and restaurants in these areas still allow you to light up inside without issue.

Escape The Bans & Vape

It is widely believed that in not so many years to come, the only areas a smoker will be allowed to smoke is in their own home and even that may be restricted if they live with children. Why not improve your health, escape the ever increasing bans on smoking and switch to vaping? It's cheaper, better for you and although it is still currently being treated with caution by the Government and various businesses (despite so much evidence it is not harmful), it is hoped the gathering studies and statistics being gathered on it will mean it will become commonly accepted in society. Worried about the smoking bans? Escape them and vape.