Smoking in Paris

They said is could never be done but the no-smoking ban in restaurants, cafes and bars has been imposed in France.  If you can’t survive without a cigarette, you’ll be forced to take to the streets. People may die of hypothermia during winter months when there’s a real chill factor.  But their chances of dying of lung cancer as a result of inhaling (or breathing in second-hand smoke) will be diminished. French Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin cited that, “66,000 deaths  are caused by smoking and 5,000 are a product of secondhand smoke each year.” Clearly not everyone is delighted by this ban that’s been in the works for more than a few years. Slated to go into effect in 2007, there was intense lobbying to keep it from happening; restaurants and bars were granted an 11-month stay of execution from a law that was  imposed on public facilities last year. As a final concession, the government permitted smokers to hail in 2008 and delayed implementing the law on January 1st until the following day.  One Bonjour Paris reader sent an email complaining that every smoker in Paris appeared to be seated next to his table ruining the taste of the very expensive dinner– and with their nightcaps, out came the Monte Cristo cigars. They may be contraband in the US but the same isn’t true in France because France doesn’t have an embargo from trading with Cuba and Castro’s regime. Since, well, forever, after eating a meal in a restaurant, patrons frequently have smelled like cigarettes whether or not they were smoking. Some eateries (allegedly) accommodated clients who wanted to be seated in non-smoking sections.  More than likely, they were tourists, many of whom were from the US. Frequently, the non-smoking areas were situated in Siberia. If diners were looking for a Parisian experience, forget it. They’d be surrounded by people with whom they’d be able to converse ….in English. The second favorite venue for the non-smoking section was adjacent to the sections of the restaurant where people were smoking away. A banquette does not a smoke screen make and didn’t negate the smell or the wheezing from people who were allergic. Bonjour Paris listed restaurants that claimed non-smoking sections. But they were not always free of the whiffs of tobacco smells. Needless to say, many people would like to stage a mini-revolution or, at the very least, a demonstration over the new law.  Owners of tabacs are not in the least bit happy over losing this major source of revenue. One of the largest producer of cigs closed its factory: Altadis, manufacturer of the potent Gauloises and Gitanes cigarettes – the choice of actress Brigitte Bardot, philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre and generations of French laborers — shut its French factory two years ago and moved its assembly line to Spain, where labor costs less and smokers are more plentiful. Under escalating pressure from the European Union, member countries slowly have shoved smokers out of more public spaces in recent years, though laws are enforced unevenly in many countries. Ireland was the first country to take the ban to heart. In spite of the many complaints among the French, polls have shown overwhelming public support for smoking bans in public places. As estimated 80% of the population is supporting the law due to increased concern over health and being irritated by the smell that permeates everything. One Parisian hairdresser said she was pro the ban, but she anticipated business would fall off since many of her clients come more frequently so their hair wouldn’t smell like a cigarette. The French government is serious about this ban. Breaking the law won’t be cheap. Fines will run between the equivalent of about $100 to $660. Businesses caught allowing puffers can get hit with fines of more than $1,000. Another added bonus to this law is that many French families have voiced they’ll take their children with them now when dining out. As a former, passionately dedicated smoker, this law will help me curb the urge to have just one cigarette with my coffee. As painful as this law is, it’s actually a boon for addicts and for people who have no urge to die of lung cancer. Another bonus is that smokers will have more disposable income if they decide to join the non-smoker brigade. Cigarettes cost approximately $6.00 a pack these days. …And people said the French would never accept such a law. It just goes to show you. © Paris New Media, LLC [email protected]