Holy smoke, the pubs reek of BO

Pubs and clubs have been forced to take drastic action to curb an unexpected consequence of the smoking ban in public places — the poor personal hygiene of some of their customers.

While the eradication of carbon monoxide fumes has been a godsend to non-smokers, in many cases they have been replaced by the overpowering stench of body odour (BO).

The cramped and humid atmosphere of many nightclubs means that by the early hours even the most heavily applied deodorant can start to fade.

Many club owners have been forced to adopt smell control techniques previously used by supermarkets to attract customers. Fragrance machines, which in food stores are used to pump out the sumptuous smell of freshly baked bread, apple pie or even fish and chips, have been adapted to replace the suffocating stench of BO in nightclubs with the fragrant odours of freshly washed linen and vanilla.