Smoking Ban – Lesson Plan - © BBC | British Council 2007

Smoking Ban

Aim:
• To develop reading and speaking skills
• To practise expressing an opinion

This lesson is about smoking and smoking bans. This is a topic which most people have
strong feelings about so it normally gets people talking. Ireland was the first country to
ban smoking completely in all public places in March 04. Scotland banned smoking in
public places in March 06 and there is a proposed ban for Wales from April 2007 and
England from July 2007. Norway, New Zealand, Italy, Sweden and Spain are amongst
other countries that have recently imposed smoking bans.

Tip:
To find out more about smoking and smoking bans here are some useful websites.
http://www.ash.org.uk - Ash = Action on Smoking and Health
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3565899.stm - Information about Ireland’s smoking
ban.
http://www.forestonline.org/output/Page1.asp - Pro- smoking group (Freedom
Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Tobacco.)

Procedure

Smoking Vocabulary
• Draw a simple picture of a cigarette on the board line by line and ask students to
guess what you’re drawing. When they have guessed, write the word SMOKING
underneath and draw a circle around it. From there, invite students to contribute
any smoking related vocabulary they know and add it on to make a mind-map.
Give clues to elicit vocabulary that is appropriate to the level. Words that may
come out are: smoke, ash, inhale, breathe, cough, cancer, relax, lungs, give up /
quit, lighter, cigar, butt, ashtray etc. etc.

Smoking – The Facts and Figures

• Put students into pairs or small groups to try and put the correct figures into the
sentences. Encourage guesswork and make it clear that you don’t expect them
to know all the answers. If they are interested in the topic they could find out
about the facts and figures of their country for homework to tell you in a later
class.
• Answers: 1) C 2) A 3) B 4) B 5) B 6) C 7) A 8) C

Tip:
With lower levels check they can say the large numbers before starting the activity.

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Smoking Ban – Lesson Plan - © BBC | British Council 2007

Worksheet A - Smoking – The Facts and Figures

How much do you know about the facts and figures of smoking? Read the following
sentences and see if you can complete them with the correct number.

1) One cigarette contains more than _________ chemical substances.

A) 10
B) 1000
C) 4000

2) In Britain, about 3,500 people are killed each year in road traffic accidents and
_________ are killed by smoking.
A) 120, 000
B) 60, 000
C) 35, 000

3) More than _____ of smokers say they want to give up smoking.

A) 50%
B) 70%
C) 90%

4) Children whose parents smoke are ______ as likely to start smoking

themselves.
A) twice
B) three times
C) six times

5) Every day in the UK, _______ children start smoking.

A) 250
B) 450
C) 650

6) In Britain it is illegal to sell cigarettes to people under the age of ______.

A) 14
B) 18
C) 16

7) In the UK, 28% of men and ___% of women smoke.

A) 26%
B) 36%
C) 16%

8) More than _____ of smokers start when they are teenagers.

A) 40%
B) 60%
C) 80%

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Smoking Ban – Lesson Plan - © BBC | British Council 2007

Do you know any facts and figures for your country about smoking? Why don’t you find
out some of the statistics to tell your class about in the next lesson. Then you can
compare your country with the UK.

Excuse me, can I smoke here?

As different countries are taking different stands on smoking bans this would be an
interesting task to do with a multi-national class as they could compare the laws in the
different countries. Choose a country for the third column to compare with the students’
own country and students should add some more places to the blank rows below.
Students complete the table with the information for their country. Then ask you, or
others about their selected country. You can encourage discussion about whether or not
they agree with these smoking regulations.

Tip:
Draw a no smoking sign on the board to check students’ understanding of the word
‘ban’. Extra information : New York City and several other US states have banned
smoking in all work places. Smoking is forbidden within 6 metres of the work building
in some places. The idea of the ban is to protect the people who work in typically
smoky atmospheres like bars and pubs.

Worksheet B - Excuse me, can I smoke here?

Add some more places to the empty rows below. Write yes or no in the second column
and then ask your teacher about the place you’ve chosen to complete the third column.
In the comments column you can put any extra information or your opinion.

Place Allowed to smoke Allowed to smoke Comments

in your country? in …….?
Schools
Banks
Public transport
Restaurants
Hospitals
Universities

• Are the smoking restrictions in your country very different to those in the UK?
• Would you like smoking to be banned in more places in your country?

Smoking Discussion Statements

Put students in small groups and copy one set of statements for the group. Rotate the
statements around the groups then have a whole group discussion to round up what has
been said.

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Smoking Ban – Lesson Plan - © BBC | British Council 2007

Worksheet C - Smoking Discussion Statements

The smoking bans won’t stop people from smoking.

It’s a civil right to be able to smoke wherever you want.

Non-smokers who work in smoky environments need to be protected from being

passive smoking.

Governments should spend their time worrying about more serious issues than
smoking.

The tobacco industry is very important in most countries.

The price of cigarettes should be higher to stop young people from starting to smoke.

Smoking bans – Have your say.

Give students a copy of the text or cut up one copy and rotate the sections around. Ask
students to read the texts and to decide if the person is a smoker, a non-smoker or if we
don’t know.
Then as they read for a second time ask them to match the text to the character below.

Tip:
On the first reading, encourage students to read for gist and not to stop for every
unknown word.

Answers:
A – Smoker – chef
B – Smoker – pub customer (old)
C – Don’t know – health minister
D – Non – smoker - singer
E – Don’t know – pub landlord
F – Smoker – pub customer (young)
G – Non – smoker – road sweeper
H – Non – smoker - barman

Worksheet D - Smoking bans – Have your say.

A local newspaper carried out a report asking people in Dublin how they feel about the
new law banning smoking in all work places including pubs and restaurants. Read the
comments below. After the first reading, decide if you think the person is a smoker, a
non-smoker or if you don’t know. After the second reading, try to match the comments
with the characters below.

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Smoking Ban – Lesson Plan - © BBC | British Council 2007

A - Restaurants have definitely changed for the better. Customers can now enjoy their food in a
clean, fresh environment. The tables here are close together here so sometimes people would
light up an after-dinner cigarette when others are just starting their meal. It really puts some
people off. I must admit though, I still pop outside for a quick fag at the end of a busy evening
shift in the kitchen.

B - I can’t believe what has happened. I’ve lived in Dublin all my life. After a hard day at work me
and my mates always come to the pub for a couple of pints and a few ciggies. It’s the only way
to finish a day! Now we’re forced to go outside to smoke. It’s madness. I’m dreading the winter.
We’ll freeze out there! I reckon they’re taking away my basic human right to smoke. I mean it’s
not illegal is it?

C - Since the ban on March 29th 2004, 7,000 people have given up smoking. In the years to
come the government will see the benefits in reduced healthcare costs. Workers are happier
and Irish people continue to go out and enjoy a drink. The world has not collapsed!

D – As I work in pubs every evening, I was really worried about the effects that passive smoking
was having on my voice. Sometimes after singing for the evening in a crowded bar my throat felt
as if I’d smoked a pack of twenty myself. I’m sure it wasn’t good for my vocal chords. When I got
home my clothes and hair used to stink of smoke. Now it’s great. I don’t have to jump straight in
the shower when I get back home. There are still lots of people in the pubs and bars here.
People have got used to the idea really quickly. I’m sure more countries will follow suit.

E – I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard about the smoking ban. I mean it’s all part of the
Irish pub culture; a pint and a cigarette is a basic human right here! Well, anyway I’ve had no
option but to enforce the new law here in my pub. The fine if you get caught is €2,000 so it’s just
not worth the risk. I must admit I was really worried about taking less money and having fewer
customers, but it hasn’t happened yet. I’ve noticed more women in the pub and more families in
the beer garden. We’ll have to wait and see what happens in the winter. I think the smokers
won’t like standing out in the cold and in the rain.

F – It was strange at first but I’ve got used to popping outside for a smoke. In fact I’ve met lots
of people and made a few friends standing outside the pub having a smoke! It’s really quite a
sociable event. There’s one pub that has parked a big red bus outside for smokers to go in and
enjoy a cigarette! I haven’t been there yet but friends say it’s great fun. I’m thinking about giving
up now anyway. I’m going to try to give up in the new year.

G – Since the smoking ban I go out much more. I’ve got asthma and before I just couldn’t sit in
the pub for long without having to go outside for a breath of fresh air. At work we’ve all noticed
there are many more cigarette butts on the floor to pick up. Pub doorways are the worst but all
over the streets there are hundreds! Let’s see when they put a ban on throwing the butt on the
ground!

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Smoking Ban – Lesson Plan - © BBC | British Council 2007

H – I feel healthier already since the smoking ban. I used to get lots of colds and coughs and
since the ban I haven’t had any. Sometimes I work for eight hours a day, so that was eight hours
of breathing the customers’ smoke. The whole bar smells different now when you walk in. It
doesn’t smell very nice though, instead of the smoke it smells of old carpets! I think the landlord
may have to get some new ones soon. My job is definitely more pleasant now.

1 - a singer 2 – a barman 3 - a pub customer (old) 4 – a pub landlord 5 – a chef

6- a road sweeper 7 – the health minister 8 – a pub customer (young)

Now, imagine your city has introduced a smoking ban for all public places. Write to your
local newspaper to express your views.

Give Up Smoking Campaign

Explain what a slogan is. Give some examples of slogans to help students get the idea.
For example “Kiss a non-smoker and taste the difference” is one I remember from my
youth! “Don’t give up giving up” is one that is being used these days.
Put students into groups to think of five reasons why people may want to give up
smoking, then encourage them to think of a new slogan for the campaign.

Tip:
You could extend this activity by making posters or radio or TV adverts to use as part
of the campaign. For younger learners this could make a memorable and motivating
project.

Worksheet E - Give Up Smoking Campaign

• Imagine you work for the health department in your country. You have been
asked to work on a campaign to encourage smokers to give up. First of all think
of five reasons why people should stop smoking. Write them here:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

• Now work in small groups and think of a slogan. It should be a short phrase that
people will remember.

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