Whilst I have no time for the dramatics and hysteria of the anti smoking mob (drama llamas drive me insane in any part of life) in this instance the smoker was totally in the wrong as DIA does have a smoking lounge . I've endured a delay of 12 hours at Denver myself. Walking to and from the UA lounge to the smoking lounge was inconvenient -but necessary so that's what I did. And that's what any smoking traveller should do too.
As for the poster whose husband insists of smoking in airport bathrooms -That's just plain selfish. Nothing to stop him leaving you airside with the bags and going out through security and outside for a cigarette if he's desperate . Takes time but if he wants to smoke enroute that's what he should do. I've done exactly the same myself coming off a transatlantic flight with a connection onwards so if I can do it- so can he !
If I have an especially tight connection -I go without although if coming off a long flight I try to schedule in time to flit out of security and back - sometimes it's a pain - but it's my choice to smoke so I take that consequence.
It always surprises me which airports have smoking lounges and which don't ....... and it always amuses me for some reason that SLC is so smoker friendly