mulegolf My wife and I, before we were married worked in a bar. I was a bartender and she was a waitress. Neither of us smoked but got plenty of second hand smoke while working. Some nights it got so filled with blue smoke in that bar that you almost couldn't see the wall on the other side of the room.
My golf buds and I often stop in the afternoon at a small neighborhood pub. Just like you mentioned there was little ventilation and the smoke would get incredibly thick. For some reason many when they get to a bar will chain smoke the whole time there. Two years ago the smoking laws changed and now you can't smoke anywhere indoors. I can really tell a difference. The pub smokers now have to go outside. Personally, I don't like the law that limits a business owner's choice. They should be able to post their business establishment and customers and workers who don't like it can go elsewhere. When the laws were implemented many said it was to protect the workers. Duh? The workers knew the business allowed smoking when they accepted the job.
Someone asked what I would do if my wife started smoking. I told them I would slow down and add more lube. π