Despite initial hostility towards the controversial legislation, early signs showed some local licensees had noticed an increase in customers and takings. This is still the case with the majority of licensees who spoke to the John O'Groat Journal this week. However, there are some who fear the ban has had an adverse effect on the number of people frequenting pubs across the county.

Brian Cardosi, owner of Skinandi's nightclub, the Central Hotel and Top Joe's, all in Thurso, said he had seen a decline in trade since the introduction of the ban. He said that this in turn had led to a cut in staff hours.

Mr Cardosi felt that since the ban the volume of people going to the pub after work had not been the same. He also highlighted the stigma attached to customers who smoke outside.

"People don't want to be stereotyped standing outside of licensed premises. Customers feel like lepers and don't want to be ribbed by work colleagues for being at the pub again," he said.

Mr Cardosi pointed out, however, that Thurso was on a "downward turn" in general, and he claimed that trade in the town was "dying". He added that the majority of customers had abided by the ban and there had been no trouble in any of his premises.

"Customers understand what it's about," he said. "They may not be happy about it, but they don't regard the licensees as the cause of the problem – they blame the government."

Jilly Bruce, manager of the Holborn Hotel in Thurso, said there had been "no major" effects since the ban.

Ms Bruce pointed out that there had been a mixed reaction from customers initially, but most had since been happy to use the pub's outdoor smoking area.

She said there had been some concern over the impact of the ban during last summer's football World Cup, when the bar was "dead", but since then she felt more people had been attracted to the pub for food.

"If we just had the bar I think we would be struggling, but because we serve food we are at an advantage," she said. "It's not a boozer – there's a relaxed atmosphere, and if smoking was still allowed then I don't think we'd have what we have now."

Ms Bruce added that she felt that, because customers have to go outside if they want a cigarette, they are now smoking less.

In Wick, Donnie McDonald, manager of the J.D. Wetherspoon pub the Alexander Bain, said that the consequences of the ban had been mixed. The change in the law had made food sales stronger, but he conceded drinks sales had suffered as a result.

Mr McDonald also pointed out that there were other factors affecting trade in Wick, such as the recent out-of-town retail developments.

He said: "Things are changing and we have to change with them. It has been a mixed bag, but it's not just because of the smoking ban. People aren't venturing out the same, especially when the weather is rough."

Mr McDonald added that the business is looking to recoup losses during the summer when an outdoor café area will be open.

Wendy Campbell, who owns the nearby Crown Bar in Wick's Market Square, said that her business had not been affected since the introduction of the ban.

She did, however, question the number of people who had given up smoking as a result of it. Mrs Campbell claimed that a lot of people had tried to quit but had failed on several occasions.

She said: "I don't think it's the success that they thought it would be – if people want to smoke they're going to smoke, and they can just go outside."

With regard to complying with the legislation, Mrs Campbell said that there had been "no hassle" and that customers had accepted the ban.

She did, however, raise concerns over unsavoury odours – previously masked by cigarette smoke – and chewing gum being taken in on patrons' shoes after standing outside.

Mrs Campbell also felt sympathetic to older customers who were not fit to stand outside, especially in winter.

The former owner of the Camps Bar in Wick, Des MacLeod, said he was pleased with the effects of the ban.

Pulling a pint in the smoke-free Camps Bar is Fiona Reid, one of the co-owners of the popular Wick pub. Robert MacDonald 01955 602741

"I was a bit nervous because I thought it wasn't going to be a good thing, but I was proved wrong – it's the best thing that's ever happened," he said. "We had the bar for nine months of the ban and takings were not down – they were up, if anything."

Mr MacLeod said that, although trade had "eased off" a little during the week, there had been no difference at weekends.

He added that he had heard of "a couple" of people giving up smoking since the ban, and said he knew of five or six who had made quit attempts.

Keith Dreaves, the manager of the Ulbster Arms Hotel in Halkirk, said the majority of customers felt that the pub environment had improved since the ban.

He said: "They can walk into the place and not start choking – even the smokers say that it's much better. We don't want to get rid of smoking customers, we want to attract them too, and it would be nice to have a smoking garden area."

Mr Dreaves said that he felt the ban had also made it easier for smokers to cut down on cigarettes.

"If they are in company then they feel a bit awkward going outside and, with the no smoking in pubs, people obviously get that smell when they come back in."

He also pointed out that the atmosphere was healthier for staff to work in.

Most of the trade experiences reported by Caithness landlords are in stark contrast to findings published earlier this month by the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, which claims the drinks industry has been badly damaged by the ban.

Its survey indicated that overall drinks sales had fallen by 11 per cent and food sales by three per cent.

The association said that over a third of licensees who responded to the survey had reduced staff, with only three per cent reporting that they had hired new staff.

The report stated: "For the great majority of licensees the ban has meant lost trade from their regulars and even a drop in the visits by other customers."

Meanwhile, figures released this week suggest the legislation has led to more people quitting and has encouraged thousands to access smoking-cessation services. Statistics for 2006 show that over 46,000 quit attempts were made through smoking-cessation services in Scotland.

Highlands and Islands Labour MSP Maureen Macmillan has welcomed the figures. Earlier this week she said the Scottish Labour Party had taken "one of the most significant steps" to improving the nation's health and said the ban had been "an overwhelming success".

The NHS survey also highlighted that the smoking rate across the country had fallen to below one in four people for the first time.

"Labour is now determined to build on this work by introducing cessation services in secondary schools, raising the smoking age to 18 and ensuring that shops selling tobacco to underagers have their licenses suspended," Mrs Macmillan said.

An estimated 4.3 per cent of all smokers used NHS services to try to kick the habit during the year and it appears many people may have used the ban as an incentive to quit.

The number of smokers attempting to give up was highest during the first four months of the year, in the run-up to and immediately following the new law. Of the 46,466 attempts to quit, one-month follow-up data showed that more than 15,000 people said they had not had "even a puff".

e.mackay@nosn.co.uk

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