On Oct. 2, 2008, India put into effect a nationwide ban on smoking in public places.  Long time travelers will recall the days when smoking throughout South Asia was widespread, especially among educated people.  Not any more.   While China and Japan still have work to do in educating their citizenry, countries like India, Bhutan, Thailand and Cambodia have taken bold action to reduce tobacco consumption and tobacco smoke pollution. Non-smokers are much less likely to be inconvenienced by smokers in Asia than they will be in Europe.