The proposed ban on smoking in pub gardens is set to be dropped by Sir Keir Starmer, it is understood.
Alternatively, cigarettes are only expected to be forbidden outside schools and hospitals.
Downing Street is said to be backing down on the anti-smoking plans after an outcry from boozy Brits and businesses, The Sun first reported.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting called for a ‘national debate’ on prohibiting smoking after views were divided on the issue.
In August, punters across the country shared their opinions on the Prime Minister’s ‘aggressive’ plans to ban the activity in pub gardens, near stadiums and outdoor restaurants.
Glynis Essex, 68, a retired nursery nurse from Leicester, said: ‘I’m still going to smoke, you can’t just stop.
‘I was told last year at gay pride to stop smoking so I stood on the other side of the barrier and I was told to stop again.
‘I was on a public pavement. Why are they taking all my enjoyment away? What else is Keir going to do to cripple us all? You’ll be paying for fresh air soon.
‘We’ve already had it barred from the pubs and it’s the cigarette taxes that keep the country going. Does he not want people to have a life? He’s clamping down on everything.
‘What is wrong with the man?’
Mark Brennan, who has smoked since he was 18, told : ‘I go to pub gardens to smoke outside so it will impact me. The government should lay off a little bit. The policy is too much. It’s too aggressive.
‘The bars are struggling already since Covid. It’s becoming a dictatorial state being told what to do.’
The 55-year-old, from Newcastle, added: ‘I’m trying to stop smoking, I’ve tried a few times and haven’t succeeded.
‘I have mixed feelings on it. It will help people stop eventually. There’s a lot of people smoking and it isn’t good for you.’
In August, leaked Whitehall documents outlining the idea were blasted by hospitality leaders and MPs.