Hi,

the UK has a representative democracy which means we elect politicians from different parties to represent our views. This is different from Switzerland where so called "direct democracy" is the norm and it is possible to put certain issues to the direct vote.

In the uk, unusually the change to the rules on smoking were put to a free vote in parliament, in other words there was no party whip.

LONDON, Feb. 14,2006 — After a tortured debate, Britain's Parliament voted overwhelmingly today for a total ban on smoking in public places — a move that seemed certain to end the time-hallowed traditions of the smoky British pub, where a pint of ale and a cigarette once defined the down time of generations.
The decision, by an unexpectedly high margin of 384 to 184, brought England into line with Ireland, which barred smoking in public places in March 2004, and with other parts of Britain, like Scotland and Northern Ireland, where bans are to come into force over the next 13 months. The local Parliament in Wales has also said it will seek a full ban. The English ban is expected to come into force next year.
The issue was seen as so divisive within the ranks of the ruling Labor Party that legislators were given what is called a free vote, enabling them to defy the party line if they wished. "

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/14/in...d-britain.html

That seems like democracy, uk style in action and it was a free vote and so free of party politics ...so even compared to a lot of decisions it was more democratic.

Sorry to disappoint you

Martin

Laws are needed, over free market, for the simple reason that people will allways choose the less-effort-way.

If there is no law, not many establishments would invest money to build the separate smoking places, nor the smokers would abstain to smoke out of respect for the non-smokers.

The solution could be easy. Add CHF 1.- ( or more ) of tax on every cigarrette package. This tax must go direct to a fund to finance the restaurant modifications costs.

Yeah don't worry I sent my MP a letter and he was booted out in the next local elections

Meanwhile pharma companies were handing out cheques in the house of commons foyers. When did my MP write to me, when were the electorate consulted? It was a personal MP vote nothing more as we know the middle classes smoke less so no it was not a fair vote and mp's don't generally come from lower classes.

In a attempt to kill these boring threads off I have created this...I'm sure there's more options but there you go

Smoking Poll

And I got a red smudgy thingy against my reputation from someone for rehashing this thread because it is "a year old" ..... Arent you all having such fun with it now?

Is it not up to the Swiss to decide?

Hello,
This is my frist post. I better keep my commints to myself, but if we were in america we could get the EPA to say it is safe.

If it wasn´t for the fact that I believe it will attract the wrong class of people, I´d mention that the restaurant in the Rote Fabrik has decided to make Sundays in Feb smoke free (until 5pm) as a kind of test phase.
I only mention it cos at least then non-smokers can go there then, not come into the most renown smokers restaurant in CH (skinning-up for 25years!!) on a Saturday night and start complaining! (in English.... bloody foreigners...) Normally I´d tell her to sod off and find another restaurant, but now I can tell her to sod off til sunday!!

Although admirable to make a first step, it's still half-arsed only having non-smoking until 17.00. Making it effective the whole day would be a clearer message. People aren't going to make an extra-special effort knowing it's only until 5 and this will only annoy the regulars.

Or is it catering to the Yuppie Brunchers?

However, the RF is a last bastion of tolerence, so secretly I'm glad...

Rote Fabrik, this beacon of herb-friendliness, smoke free? Times are changing...

It actually is possible to create a smoke-free environment in a room without creating a partition. "All" you need to do is create a lower atmospheric pressure in the section of the room which houses the smokers.

The technically minded will have understood the consequence. For everyone else, this implies a constant current of air flowing from the outside to the non-smoking area to the smoking area and then out.

It is an expensive solution which means that most bars in France have simply opted for the much simpler solution: No smoking inside.

Meanwhile, here in Switzerland, if you smoke near me, I'll fart near you

Thanx, it was actually my idea. It was not however my idea on how it should be implemented, and as you say, being somewhat half-arsed, it WILL piss off both the yuppy brunchers AND the regulars and hopefully the whole question of whether or not to make the Ziegel smoke-free will die in the (half) arse. The smoking situation was brought up as a theme in one of our many, many meetings by only one or two of the collectivists, who have over the last coupla years forced through some really silly ineffectal ways to try to guage the climate, so to speak. When I brought up a non-smoking day (I had imagined this would be a whole day during the week, once a month, for ever) as a suggestion, those same people wanted nothing to do with it and it got reduced down to what we now have, 4 X 6 hours!!! Let´s see what happens!