And he claimed that the availability of cheap alcohol in supermarkets had led to significant numbers of smokers remaining at home to drink.

But health officials insisted the ban was working well and revealed that the number of people seeking help to give up smoking in the Highlands had risen dramatically in recent months.

Mr McGhee said that according to a Scotland-wide survey of licensed premises ­— which included a high response from the Highlands — drink sales were down by 11 per cent. “The ban is certainly not drawing more people in, that’s for sure, “he said. “There is a lot of anecdotal evidence that some places are suffering and they have laid off staff.”

He suggested the smoking ban had been a contributory factor in the closure of The Haugh Bar in Inverness where custom had dropped.

“The smoking ban has caused all sorts of other problems which are beginning to manifest themselves such as noise pollution and litter which are very contentious issues,” Mr McGhee added.

“They have come about through no other reason than the fact that people have to go outside to smoke.”

While licensees could resolve the litter problem by providing bins and tidying up afterwards, the noise issue was proving more problematic.

“It is okay if you have a beer garden and it is not going to cause a great nuisance to anyone else. But there are quite a number of examples where people are standing outside at night and noise occurs.

“There is absolutely nothing the licensee can do about it — he cannot allow them to smoke inside because they would be committing an offence.”

However, Susan Birse, NHS Highland’s tobacco co-ordinator, insisted there was no evidence that people were spending more time smoking at home. “Anything which is going to improve the health of the population is a good thing and certainly the ban has done that,” she said. “There has been a huge improvement in the health of people who work in bars because passive smoking is an issue.”

Miss Birse said that more than 500 people had sought help from NHS Highland’s smoking cessation service between June and December last year and the figures had risen dramatically for the first three months of this year.

“Most people do want to give up smoking,” she said. “You are four times more likely to give up smoking if you go through a smoking cessation programme rather than if you do it on your own.”

Emma Fraser, manager of The Keg in Baron Taylor’s Street, Inverness, confirmed many bar staff had welcomed the ban. “You go home not reeking of smoke,” she said.

But she pointed out that staff working at premises without a beer garden had to be watchful of smokers going outside to ensure they did not take their drinks on to a public street. “Also, I think from a tourist’s and shopper’s point of view, it doesn’t look very good with all the smokers outside, especially in Baron Taylor’s Street which is very narrow,” she commented.

Veronica Finlay, manager of the Clachnaharry Inn, did not think the ban had effected custom at her premises. “If anything, it has possibly been positive with more families coming in,” she said.

Smokers appear to have accepted the ban in the region. Since it was introduced, Highland Council’s smoking enforcement officers have visited 1700 premises and sent out 15 warning notices, but no fixed penalty notices have been issued. Nationally, fixed penalty notices were issued to 14 premises and 175 to individuals.

Officers have the power to enforce fixed penalty fines of £200 on owners for allowing people to smoke or failing to display non-smoking signs. Refusal or failure to pay could result in prosecution or a fine of up to £2500.

Alistair Thomson, the council’s head of environmental health, said before the ban came into force the Scottish Executive put out a lot of publicity material plus the council had done a lot of preparatory work with the licensed trade.

He added that there had not been any major noise pollution problems but acknowledged there had been “noise considerations”.

“Some people were wanting beer gardens for places which are overlooked by dwelling houses,” Mr Thomson said. “There were some considerations of a planning nature.”

He also said that following complaints about discarded cigarette ends, the enforcement officers had been given additional powers as litter wardens but they had not had any occasion to issue notices.

Meanwhile, since Highland Council introduced a smoking policy in January last year, 11 members of staff have applied for financial assistance to give up smoking at a cost of under £300 to Council Tax payers.

v.sweeney@inverness-courier.co.uk

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