Smoking ban hailed a success in Scotland

Local authorities reported no cases of the law being flouted and just a handful of people have contacted a national hotline to register complaints.

Unprecedented scenes were witnessed across the country on Sunday as smokers in pubs, restaurants and airports were forced to take their habit outdoors.

Enforcement officers have been patrolling bars, restaurants and hotels, which are all included in the legislation. On the first night of the inspections, all 147 venues inspected in the capital were found to be smoke-free.

Edinburgh City Council said the officers were received well by both management and the public. Glasgow City Council said officers had visited 143 premises but no penalties had been issued. Aberdeen City Council also reported success, though its inspectors were subject to verbal abuse from unhappy smokers at three of the 23 venues visited.

Smokers lobby group Forest said many pubs had continued to attract smokers with comfortable outdoor facilities including heating. Scottish spokesman Neil Rafferty said: "We understand that many smokers are fed up but a lot of pubs have provided good outdoor areas.

"These obviously vary from pub to pub and are dependent on the weather. Yesterday I saw quite a few people enjoying a drink outside. What's important now is that politicians acknowledge how smokers have adapted and that they don't stand in the way of pubs applying for permission for these kind of areas."

It is estimated tobacco use kills about 13,000 Scots annually and passive smoking claims up to 2,000 lives every year in Scotland. The Executive is aiming to reduce the number of adult smokers by almost 186,500 by 2010.