Smoking was banned in pubs in the United Kingdom at different times depending on the region, but the key moment was when smoking became illegal in all enclosed public places including pubs. In England, this ban came into force on July 1, 2007, under the Health Act 2006. Scotland implemented the ban earlier, in March 2006, while Wales and Northern Ireland followed in April 2007. Before these laws, smoking bans in pubs were being introduced voluntarily by some businesses from around 2006. The legislation made it illegal to smoke in any enclosed workplace, including pubs that serve food, and later extended to all enclosed public places, effectively banning smoking inside all pubs to protect public health.
The initial government proposal in 2004 planned a phased ban, but after parliamentary debates and amendments, a comprehensive ban on smoking in all enclosed public places, including pubs, was passed and implemented by mid-2007. This was a major public health reform aimed at reducing exposure to second-hand smoke. Despite some opposition and exceptions initially considered, the ban is now widely accepted and enforced across the UK.
Thus, the smoking ban inside pubs became legally effective on July 1, 2007, in England, with similar timing in other UK countries, marking the official end of smoking in pubs across the UK.
