France has banned smoking in restaurants and bars, but the interpretation of it that we are seeing (we are in Paris now) is that the 'outside' area of the restaurant - meaning the part screened in and completely covered with a temporary, plastic screen, and external heaters - allows smoking. The result is that we (non-smokers) have changed places with the smokers. We used to sit outside to get away from them, but now they are in the outer area and we go inside to get away from them. This is not so bad in January, but next summer will be tough, unless the rules get tightened up, because the cooler, outside tables will be smoky indeed.
Posted by
OP
Richardson, TX, USA
153 posts
What I saw today at Rue Cler was that each brasserie had smokers at every 'outside' table. No exceptions. We went inside to get away from the smoke. But the temperature was such that an outside table would have been preferable.
In Ireland the last few years, since the smoking ban, we've been back several times, we have no problem with smokers. They go outside, all the way outside, and are not in the public areas at all.
In the states the number of smokers is much, much less than it was years ago when I was growing up. Cigarettes are pretty much a non-issue in my life at this point. I pass some smoke lepers on the way to my car once in a while, but I don't give them alms. The French are making progress but have to figure out how to further discourage the smokers.
Posted by
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
Jim, it works the same way in Ireland, UK and Germany. Most of the restaurants and bars simply can't offer a 2nd room so that now the smokers get the outside, the non-smokers get the inside. The only solution is much, much more anti-smoking education and marketing so that eventually people stop smoking voluntarily. Bans don't really work out all that well.
Posted by
Paris, France
506 posts
The smoking ban only impacts the inside locations by law. But really this is no different than places in the US. For example, the ordinance in Denver does not include such out door locations either. One step at a time. It reminds me of the same transition for those first states in the US - remember holding your breath to get in the front door of an office building? It is a significant step for France to make such a change.
Be glad - you now really have a choice.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
No Jim, It isn't going to be that bad, first of all , there are less smokers then ever, so I know that every table in an outdoor cafe will not have a smoker at it. At least I know that this past August it was not such a big issue.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
As long as they don't smoke at childrens playgrounds and throw the butts in the sand( my particular pet peeve) then I am fine with them sitting OUTSIDE at a table with an ASHTRAY provided, as I have noticed that now smokers are not allowed to smoke on outdoor patios in my city, they now smoke outside and THROW THE BUTTS on the ground or put them in planters since no ashtrays are provided.
Posted by
OP
Richardson, TX, USA
153 posts
Yes, that is what I saw at about 1700 Sunday, 20 January 2008. If you don't believe me, light up and inhale deeply.
Posted by
OP
Richardson, TX, USA
153 posts
To amplify my original comment - today we saw no ashtrays available at sidewalk cafes on Blvd St Germain or elsewhere in the St Germain area. We saw ashtrays available at sidewalk cafes on the Champs Elysees. In Rue Cler, we saw a mixture, but today was Monday and there were few customers this afternoon except tourists. On Saturday and Sunday, the outside tables were being used by locals, and the smoke was dense. Our waitress at Tribeca told us (Sunday) that the only non-smoking tables were inside.