The whole point of stopping people smoking indoors in public spaces was to stop others from inhaling second hand smoke.

In many ways it worked. Many people quit for that very reason. It just became too much of a hassle to have to go outside and have a smoke.

You could say there was an 'enjoyment' of smoking in a café or restaurant.

It became almost sad in many ways to have to drag yourself outside and stand outside in the pouring rain to feed your habit.

This week, it was suggested that the Government will ban smoking in some outdoor areas, such as at restaurants and in doorways of hospitals, to improve public health.

The aim was to have fewer places where you actually can smoke. By doing so people could safeguard their own health and safeguard the NHS

Age limits, price hikes and curtailing the sale of the product is all very well and makes perfect sense.

Stopping people smoking outside hospitals and in doorways to schools and colleges, also makes sense. I am not sure why this was not enforced earlier.

But pub and restaurant gardens? That has to be one of the most strangest ideas ever. Why not just ban the product completely and get it over and done with?

You have businesses of all sizes who will be thinking of shutting down completely if this were to come into force. Pubs are closing already at an alarming rate and there really will be no reason for anyone to go out if they are going to be told they will be restricted in this way.

Policing something indoors is far easier than outdoors. Even non-smokers will be a little confused by the proposals.

Moreover, a simple look at someone’s behaviour.

When people were stopped from smoking inside they hurried outside to get that quick fix.

Then if you bar them from the designated ‘smoking area’ they are most likely to smoke on the other side of the fence or in the doorway.

Ideas to curtail smoking are great but sometimes they simply make no sense.