The reality of the smoking ban in Hong Kong’s bars and clubs has never really sunk in. Despite coming into force on January 1, 2007, the majority of Hong Kong’s bar and nightlife establishments have continued in a world of smoke, exempted from a ban that has spread like wildfire across much of the developed world. Until now.

Despite bar worker-led rallies in the past months, and fears that the smoking ban, on top of the economic woes and swine flu (everything can be traced back to swine flu doncha know), will result in job losses in the hospitality industry, the lighters in the city’s bars and clubs officially go out on Wednesday 1. But unlike March’s Earth Hour, it has nothing to with saving the environment. Rather, the government suggests that it’s being done in the name of saving lives.

It’s a brave new world for both smoker and non-smoker – one that will, no doubt, be divisive both philosophically and physically. And even if the entertainment landscape doesn’t change entirely, the reality is that there will be marked change to the atmosphere in bars and clubs.

But what exactly are the new rules? Where can you smoke and where can’t you? We’ve heard all sorts of reports come through the Time Out Hong Kong office, such as “you can’t smoke anywhere where food is served”, “smoking is completely banned everywhere”, and “you can smoke (and have sex) in the bathroom”.

We thought we’d drag (pun unfortunately intended) ourselves into the issue, and check out what will happen in the new, clean-air environment: where to go if you want to smoke and where to avoid if you find passive smoke truly disgusting.

At first glance the ban seems pretty straightforward: indoor = no smoking; outdoor = smoking. That’s the general concept. But with a slightly technical definition of what constitutes ‘indoor’ (it even includes the concept of ‘per cent’, presumably to throw off a significant portion of the population), there are some minor complications.

The upshot is that there are certain areas where smoking is not prohibited. Firstly, any part of an establishment without a roof gets the green light for smoking. That means if you look up and you can see the menacing clouds above, feel free to light up. Clearly, this includes courtyards, balconies, and any strange, roofless bars you might come across.

Secondly, there are those wonderful things called terraces. Even if the terrace contains a roof or an awning, smoking is permitted unless more than half of the terrace is enclosed. That means, in all likelihood, most terraces around the city are fair game for the smoking crowd. On a similar note, sidewalk seating remains smoke-friendly – that is, in the event that district councils don’t abolish them altogether (see p30).

Of course, not all bars will be roofless, or have an al fresco terrace, which will mean, for those insisting on having a fag, that the great outdoors might be your only option – huddling together with fellow nicotine inhalers on the pavement outside.

Whether you like it or not, the new world order is hitting Hong Kong. The real question is: how will our entertainment scene take it?