Furious licensees up and down the country are getting behind a petition to reverse the smoke ban.
Wiltshire licensee Robert Feal-Martinez, hopes the on-line peition will give the Government a true indication of public opinion.
He told the Morning Advertiser: "We want the Government to wake up to what the trade really wants. "We feel let down by trade bodies like the BBPA and FLVA because we don't think they argued long and hard enough for a fourth option. "People will be driven out of business by this law and we must try to stop that."
Feal-Martinez, a non-smoker, says his own pub will not be as badly affected as some.Food and motel rooms make up 70% of his business but he added:
"This is about freedom of choice. The Government never wanted people to have a proper choice. "They never wanted to look at the possibility of ventilation and indoor air quality standards."
WebsiteThe petition is available on the Big Debate website. the silent majority are starting to take action - the vociferous minority have had it their way for too longDurham licensee David Cheetham
The website was created by Durham licensee David Cheetham, also a non-smoker, to give licensees somewhere to discuss trade issues without fear of the debate being hijacked.
He said: "It may be late in the day but the silent majority are now starting to take action. "The vociferous minority have had things all their way for too long."
Feal-Martinez added: "We need as many people as possible to download the petition, collect signatures and get them back to me."
To download the petition click here.To visit the Big Debate website click here.Did the trade do enough to combat the smoke ban? Are you happy with the legislation? To comment on this email us by clicking this link