They do it different Down Under, it seems

The English, it would appear, share more than just a common ancestry with our chums Down Under.

The Australian state of Victoria is set to introduce a ban on smoking in public places come July 1, same day as in England. But unlike the powers-that-be in Fair Albion, at least they've gotten round to telling people it's coming.

Over the recent weekend the Victoria authorities launched a A$1.4m ad campaign designed to apprise Bruces and Sheilas of their obligations under the new laws, namely not to smoke in enclosed spaces as well as outdoor areas "with a roof and walls covering more than three quarters of the total".

The campaign, according to the Melbourne Herald Sun, is to cover TV, print and online. No mention of radio, but maybe they just forgot about that one.

Under the new legislation pub customers flouting the ban face a fine of A$104.81 - a bizarre amount if you ask me - for a first offence and up to A$524 if prosecuted.

Still, at least Victorians - the Australian variety, not the ones living in England under Disraeli and able to point to an empire covering three quarters of the globe, etc - have had a campaign to make them aware of the ban.

Here, I can't recall seeing much more than an A4 poster in my local reminding me that "On July 1 we go smoke free. Yippee!"

True, all my mates know a ban is coming, but very few of them know when​ it's coming, and some even think it's going to be OK to smoke in a pub that doesn't sell food. Oh the poor, deluded fools.

So are we here in England likely to get an all-singing all-dancing campaign months in advance like our Aussie friends, or a reminder the week before and then a polite request from a pub landlord from the first day of July onwards?

As ever, a rhetorical question…