It was a straw poll based on a very small sample but it nevertheless provides an interesting insight into the minds of many smokers today.
As part of a project Forest is working on in the run-up to the fifth anniversary of the smoking ban in England, we sent photographer Dan Donovan to take pictures of people smoking outside pubs.
The response, he reports, was disappointing. "I approached plenty of smokers but only a few agreed to have their picture taken.
"With this impromptu kind of shoot it takes some time to get around. First, I have to explain to strangers what I'm doing. This in turn leads to a group discussion that can sometimes get quite heated.
"One woman I approached was pretty curt and said 'I'm not interested' even before I explained what I was doing. She then calmed down and said she didn't want her picture taken as her children didn't know she smoked.
"Other smokers didn't want their picture taken either. Some denied that they even smoked when clearly they did!
"Another said that he thought the ban was good as it has helped him cut down."
It wasn't all bad. "Some thanked me for what I was doing and wanted their picture taken with me in it!"
Many commented adversely about the ban. Reactions included:
"The ban has taken away my freedom of choice."
"In Florida you can smoke in non-food bars, it should be like that here."
A doorman said, "Non-smoking laws have killed the pub trade."
Overall, however, Dan reports that, "My overriding feeling is that the anti-smoker clan have successfully intimidated the smoking community to such a degree that very few smokers dare to voice a true opinion.
"There was no shortage of smokers, just a shortage of brave smokers."
Photographs by Dan Donovan
