Trim, nobody has suggested that the serviceman was smoking, he was buying cigarettes. Clearly not the same thing. I never smoked in uniform in public but I certainly bought cigarettes while in uniform, in fact I did so nearly every day of my 22.
As an aside, I was refused alcohol in one or two off licences when in uniform, for exactly the same reasons as this case, i.e. a misunderstanding of licensing law. It happens. I didn't go to the press, I went to another off licence.
People don't half get their knickers in a twist over nothing these days.