Scotland's first minister, Jack McConnell, has given his backing to calls for a total ban on smoking in the workplace following a visit to Ireland where a ban has been in place since April.
On a fact-finding visit to Dublin yesterday, Mr McConnell said he was now convinced a ban north of the border would be "enforceable, practical and desirable".
Previously sceptical of an outright ban, he said the Irish experience showed there were great benefits in such a move, indicating a ban could come into force in Scotland within 18 months.
Any prohibition of workplace smoking would include a ban on smoking in pubs, hotels and restaurants, where workers are at higher risk.
Mr McConnell's party, Labour, and the Liberal Democrats are committed under the terms of their coalition pact to take action against public smoking. But until yesterday Mr McConnell was thought to be veering towards a compromise, backed by hoteliers and publicans, to see the creation of obligatory non-smoking areas.
A consultation by the executive on smoking in public areas ends at the end of September, and has so far attracted 22,000 responses. The first minister has committed himself to a decision by the end of the year, which could lead to legislation being enacted around the beginning of 2006.
Ian Willmore, spokesman for anti-smoking campaigners Ash, said: "It looks like Scotland is leading the way in the UK to bringing in a ban on smoking in the workplace.
"All credit to him for taking the trouble of travelling to Dublin and changing his mind when he found it works. What he was impressed by was that it was well-observed and required little enforcement because it was popular."
Mr Willmore said there were about 700 premature deaths due to workplace exposure to smoke every year in Britain - three times the number of fatalities from industrial accidents.
The UK health secretary, John Reid, is expected to unveil proposals on public smoking in a public health white paper, expected in November.
"We would urge him to introduce national legislation, not just giving councils the powers to institute bans if they wish," said Mr Willmore.
Martin Couchman, deputy chief executive of the British Hospitality Association, the trade body representing hotels, said: "Although we believe the voluntary approach is best we are realistic enough to see that society has changed and public opinion has changed.
"We are heartened that Mr McConnell is talking of Scotland-wide legislation because we believe that if it is left up to individual local authorities there will be chaos."
