THE ban on smoking in indoor workplaces is five years-old and, fairly predictably, smokers are blaming the ills of the world on this.

There’s no doubt some pubs were, and still are, badly affected by the ban. But there’s also no doubt that many thousands of people, especially those working in pubs, are healthier.

However, if they want to blame the demise of local pubs and even nightclubs on this, think again. That one is far more complex and includes a dramatic change in drinking habits. You might just as well blame the smoking ban for the recession and the disappearance of Shergar.

Oh, and while I’m mid-rant, why are there so many people smoking around the Royal Bolton Hospital? Signs everywhere show that it’s a “no smoking” site and its wards still house people who refuse to acknowledge that cigarettes have wrecked their health - even as they go into surgery.