A ban on smoking in pub gardens and other outdoor areas could create 'a huge amount of problems' for businesses, a publican has said.

It comes as the move is being considered in the UK because of the "huge burden" smoking puts on its health service and the taxpayer, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said.

The ban could include pub gardens, outdoor restaurants and outside sports venues, hospitals, nightclubs and some small parks.

Owner of the Róisín Dubh in Galway, Simon Heaslip, told Lunchtime Live he doesn't think an outdoor smoking ban would be enforceable.

"The big problem we would have, and pubs and venues all over the place would have, is that people are still going to smoke unless you make it illegal so [people] have a right to smoke," he said.

"If you're saying you can't smoke in the smoking area or the beer gardens, then they've got to do it outside the premises - and that can create a lot of problems when we're responsible for all the people within our premises.

"When you have to put them outside, but they're only going outside for five or 10 minutes, and if you have a full house and you have other people trying to get in, it's going to be very, very difficult to regulate."

No smoking signs in 2006. Image: Jim Wileman / Alamy

Simon said he believes the 2004 smoking ban was the best thing that's ever happened to his industry.

"I just think it's going to be very, very difficult to manage," he said.

"The smoking ban, as a publican and as a nonsmoker, was the best thing that's ever happened in our business.

"But just trying to manage them when you have to now send them outside of your premises somewhere, I can see a huge amount of problems in trying to manage the whole thing."

Simon added that he's glad "someone else is doing this first".

'Passive smoking'

Caller Greg told the show any outdoor smoking ban should focus more on passive smoking.

"It's not practical to implement a blanket ban in all public places," he said.

"What you're trying to protect people from is passive smoking and everybody has a right to avoid passive smoking.

"For instance, if you take the entrance to a hospital - I've visited Beaumont a number of times as a visitor - and on the way in, you walk through all sorts of people in wheelchairs and pajamas smoking away - that's a problem".

Greg said there is a difference between a hospital setting and a pub.

"People who go [to hospitals] - some of them could have asthmatic problems or whatever - and they have a right not to walk through smoke," he said.

"On the other hand [smoking in] a pub or a beer garden that's up to the clientele and it's up to the proprietor.

"It's about the space that's available."

A man smoking a cigarette. Image: Jes2ufoto / Alamy

Greg suggested people "should have the courtesy" not to smoke where people are eating.

"If you have a beer garden that's an open space, and even if it is mixed [with] eating and drinking and whatever, if the space is appropriate then smoking should be OK".

Greg said people can choose which pubs they to go to.

"The proprietor has the choice as long as he sticks within the law and the client has the choice," he said.

"I don't have any choice if I go to Beaumont [Hospital] but I do have a choice if I want to go to that pub, this pub or whatever pub.

"That's where it needs to be practical".

'Critical thinking'

Caller Alex said any outdoor smoking ban has to be well thought-out.

"It should come down to critical thinking, they should think about the implementation of the law," he said.

"What Simon said is brilliant that it's a great idea but for smokers who want to go outside from a controlled environment in his pubs [where] it's busy and you have to control the entry, it's difficult to police.

"They should really go through a critical thinking path - what will this affect and how will we will implement it?"

Alex added that smoking "ultimately should be illegal but not criminalised".

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Main image: An anti-smoking banner in 2007. Image: Kees Metselaar / Alamy