you can smoke in stand alone bars all you want in Florida. You can't smoke in any other place of work though. Gov't had very little to do with it, it was on the ballot in 2002 as a constitutional amendment.
My friend tends bar in a local restaurant/pub. Since it isn't a stand alone bar, it falls under the smoking amendment and no smoking is at the bar. Personally, he likes it better because he doesn't have customers blowing smoke in his face. By the way, he is a smoker. The best thing for him, and the pub, is they actually do a better business at the bar after the ban than before the ban. The smokers who frequented the bar area are still there, but now more non-smokers frequent the bar. Also, since the bar isn't as "smelly" more people place food orders at the bar (increasing tips for my friend and the rest of the bar staff.) So in this case, the smoking amendment is definitely a good thing for the establishment, the patrons and the staff. The smokers just have to go outside to light up, and yes, they are allowed to take their drinks outside.
If you go next door, you can smoke inside all you want while drinking alcohol and looking at boobs.
