Police and council officials in Wales say licencees could lose their licence if they cannot stop smokers using bad language outside their pubs.
A report by the Safer Neath Port Talbot Business Crime Reduction Partnership says the bad language is anti-social behaviour and is the responsibility of licensees.
Failure to adequately control the impact and conduct of the public house can lead to a review of their licence, or even revocationNeath Port Talbot Council environmental health manager, Huw Jones.
Neath Port Talbot Council environmental health manager, Huw Jones, told the Swansea Evening Post:
"Primarily, if there is public disorder, then the police have powers to act.
"Additionally, the landlord will have responsibilities under the Licensing Act to maintain control of his premises and this duty extends to the impact his business has on the immediate vicinity.
"Failure to adequately control the impact and conduct of the public house can lead to a review of their licence, or even revocation."
The authority's head of licensing, Jim Sullivan, said some complaints had already been dealt with informally.
"We have spoken to one or two premises and they have taken steps to resolve the matter one way or another," he told the paper.
Guys, I would really like it if you could use our forums to suggest a list of acceptable alternatives to some well-known expletives which the poor Neath licensees might be able to pin up outside their pubs. There may even be a prize for the best entry. Keep it clean-ish! Iain