IT comes straight into the Top Ten of those awkward subjects that is whispered about rather than shouted forth.Lots of you have noticed it and more and more of us are starting to walk the tightrope of delicate debate.

IT comes straight into the Top Ten of those awkward subjects that is whispered about rather than shouted forth.

Lots of you have noticed it and more and more of us are starting to walk the tightrope of delicate debate.

It's a phenomenon that Scotland, Ireland and Wales have already experienced.

And now Suffolk and large parts of our beloved England are today coming to terms with a whole new world of smells and odours brought about by the ban on smoking in public places.

In short, brutal terms, the trumps and unpleasant armpit smells that had been hidden by the sickly world of cigarette smoke, have been exposed for us all to suffer.

Pongs emanating from the sweating nightclubber or the whiffy regular were once heavily disguised by the cigarette smoke that hung about in the air.

But today, as the ban takes force, the traditional smell of a pub is changing as a smoky interior becomes a thing of the past.

As smokers are forced to crowd around doorways and relax in beer gardens, drinkers are beginning to notice a few other stinks of the not-so-fragrant variety assaulting their nostrils.

Some Ipswich pub-goers have reported a heady mix of perfume, flatulence, body odour and stale beer - a selection of aromas all previously masked by smoking.

Jane Farr, landlady at Ipswich town centre pub Mannings, said she hasn't noticed a significant change in the smell of the pub.

She said: “We have made a big effort to comply with the ban and now have a designated smoking area in the garden. I was against the ban but I must admit we can smell rather nice wafts of perfume worn by some of the office girls when they come in for a drink.”

And in response to the reek bosses at one of Ipswich's biggest nightclubs have come up with a novel way to mask the stench caused when the DJ cries “put your hands up in the air” with scented air conditioning.

Liquid nightclub, in Cardinal Park, Ipswich, is to introduce an aroma called Hydro-Spa which will be pumped into the venue through the air conditioning unit.

Rio Kader, general manager of Liquid, said; “The introduction of Hydro-Spa will mean we will offer a full, multi-sensorial experience to our clubbers.

“We already provide a great sound and sight experience but now we are going to add sexy smells. The introduction of this product will distinguish us from our competitors and guarantee our customers will enjoy a great night out in a great smelling environment.”

Have you noticed human odours? What smells have you smelt? Did you prefer the smell of smoke? What do you think? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send us an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk

Smoking is banned in all indoor public places, making it illegal to smoke in virtually all 'enclosed' and 'substantially enclosed' public places and workplaces.

Many places - such as cinemas and public transport - have rarely permitted smoking in recent years, so places like pubs, restaurants, cafés, nightclubs and private members' clubs will now have the same rules.

Staff smoking rooms and indoor smoking areas are no longer allowed, so anyone who wants to smoke during work hours has to go outside.

In the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan the sale and use of tobacco is completely outlawed.

Cigarette smoke contains almost 4,000 chemicals, they include:

Formaldehyde: used for pickling things in jars;

Acetone: found in nail varnish;

Ammonia: used in fertiliser;

Hydrogen sulphide: smells of rotten eggs;

Polonium: a radioactive component;

Arsenic: a killer poison.