HAPPY NEW YEAR!
It was a quiet day for good news today. But there are many that will find cause for celebration in the smoking ban introduced in France's restaurants and cafés today. Not everyone, of course - there are some smokers that will assert their right to light up. But today's press coverage suggests that many smokers will use the opportunity to quit (as they have elsewhere in the EU) and that non-smokers will welcome the clean air. I think there is more to the story than that, though. It really is an amazing example of rapid social change - along a positive trajectory. It seems unbelievable that something so fundamental to France's café culture could be abandoned for the sake of public health. It does make you wonder what else might be possible, not just in Europe but elsewhere.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Day Eighty-Two: les non fumeurs
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2 comments:
I hate smokers in cafe and restaurants! Hoorah to all the countries that are banning smoking in public places. Singapore has been doing that for years before most of the other countries. Croatia is implementing its non-smoking policy this year! I'm smiling:)
Hi Sher
Thanks for your comment!
I agree - smoke and food don't go well together...
Lots of countries are banning smoking in public places now, in part due to the international Framework Convention on Tobacco Control that was agreed a few years back - countries are trying to come into line with its spirit and recommendations. All good.
When will Croatia's policy take effect? Or is it already in place?
E
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