Either eat or smoke

Tobacco lovers hide from persecution in special shelters

Following America, which is suffering from obesity, the Old World has also joined the fight for a healthy lifestyle. The first victims of a healthy lifestyle, of course, were smokers. One after another, European countries began to ban smoking, first in schools, then in workplaces, and then on the streets. In Italy, a smoking ban law adopted exactly a year ago has already led to a reduction in the number of smokers by half a million people. On January 1, 2006, a similar law prohibiting smoking even at bus stops came into force in the Czech Republic. Non-smoking public transport passengers finally felt revenged and immediately called the police at the sight of a cigarette. However, law enforcement officers, who also mostly smoke, are still loyal to violators - instead of the 1,000-crown fine provided for by the new law, most violators got off with a verbal warning.

However, the ban on smoking in public places is only a small springboard for the upcoming broad attack on the rights of smokers. The latest in European fashion for a healthy lifestyle is the ban on smoking in cafes, bars and restaurants. According to sociological surveys, in the Czech Republic almost half of the population demands such harsh measures. The government, however, is not yet ready for them. “I don’t know if this is so reasonable,” Czech Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek, who also often treats himself to a good cigar after dinner, said recently on the Prima TV channel.

While in Eastern Europe parliamentarians have just begun discussing a ban on smoking in bars and restaurants, in England the long-term struggle for a complete ban on smoking has entered its final stage. If two or three years ago only doctors of the British Medical Association spoke about the need to ban smoking, scaring not only smokers themselves, but also their loved ones with lung cancer, now members of the British cabinet are talking about the need for such measures. The other day, British Health Minister Caroline Flint called on the public to “press” the House of Commons and get the relevant legislation passed. That is, the ban on smoking during meals in England can already be considered a settled issue; politicians are only discussing the details - whether it is worth banning smoking in all bars or making an exception for those establishments where only nuts and chips are served as snacks.

True, such a radical bill in England has many opponents who point to the negative Irish experience. A ban on smoking in the workplace and in public places introduced in Ireland a couple of years ago has led to tens of thousands of job losses. Besides the cigarette manufacturers themselves, pubs and restaurants suffered the most from the ban. According to the London Center for Economics and Business Research, the smoking ban has led to entertainment and drinking establishments losing up to 10% of their regular customers and a similar reduction in sales. The total damage to Irish pubs for the year amounted to almost $200 million. However, some enterprising businessmen managed to minimize losses by investing money in creating “shelters for smokers.” Sometimes the role of such a “shelter” was played by a bus parked near the pub.

If England follows the path of Ireland, then there is no doubt that all the retired London “double-deckers” will soon be permanently parked at drinking establishments. Then British advocates of a healthy lifestyle will only have to take the last step towards a bright future for public health - banning the sale of booze in bars. Then the regulars at the bar will be replaced by British housewives who will come to the pub with their babies to drink a glass of milkshake, watch a TV series and chat with their friends. But will it be England?

Alexander GUDKOV