A Scottish council is to write to every pub and club in its authority to warn them about letting smokers take their drinks outside when they go for a puff.
Council chiefs in East Lothian say people are causing a nuisance by drinking and smoking on pavements outside bars.
According to the Scotsman, Musselburgh councillor John Ross told the licensing: "There have been a few instances where we've had problems with people drinking outside bars when they've gone out for a cigarette. Two or three places in Musselburgh are especially bad for smokers congregating with drinks, although the majority of licensed premises in the area are much better.
"On Friday and Saturday nights in particular, it can cause a lot of problems when you have a big group of people on the pavement with glasses and bottles."
He added: "We're just hoping to work with licensees and to get them to realise that it's their responsibility to help to enforce this. Although it's a police matter when people are caught drinking illegally on the streets, it's the licensee's responsibility to help ensure that their customers don't leave the pub with their drink in the first place - even if it is only to go for a smoke.
"If they want to have people drinking on the pavement they can apply for a special licence from the council."
Some Scottish cities such as Glasgow use bylaws to prevent smokers from taking their drinks outside.