Story here: http://tinyurl.com/ftx7c

"Four out of five Swiss are in favour of smoke-free workplaces and two-
thirds would also welcome a smoking ban in restaurants and bars,
according to a survey."

AND...

"The results ..... contradict claims by GastroSuisse, the hotel and
restaurant federation, that customers do not support a total ban but
are in favour of separate smoking and non-smoking zones."

Cheers,
Nick

....and your point is, caller ?
dave

It means that a total smoking ban in Switzerland, which a couple of years ago I would have bet wouldn't come here for 20 years, is just around the corner...

From swissinfo:
"Switzerland has one of the highest rates of tobacco consumption in Europe. Regular smokers on average consume more than 20 cigarettes a day. "

Regardless on your views on smoking, it will be interesting day for democracy if this comes about.

dave

Some restaurants in Zurich such as Nooba (www.nooba.ch) are almost always packed and completely smoke free.

I too thought I'd never see the day, but since the days of the big thread on smoking in restaurants thread from last year many things seem to be changing. The only question is how quickly?

Some extremely related threads to this one:

Smoking in restaurants (Complaints Corner)
Petition to ban smoking in restautants (Swiss Politics and News)
Non-smoking restaurants in Zurich (Entertainment and Dining)

There are also links to many similiar news articles on the first thread on that list.

To be militantly antismoking, of course!

if the Ticinese, Italians and Irish can ban it - so can the Swiss.

Bravo! :random-clapping-hand-smiley:

Non smoking I'm all for. Militantcy I'm not.

Can we rename this thread "Anti Smoking Propaganda " ?

dave

I'd say

Put That Fag Out

but it's becoming colder outside and our American friends would not want their homosexual colleagues to catch a cold now, would they?

(This post exists purely to highlight we're separated by the same language)

Why? There has been very little, if any, anti-smoking propaganda in it. Why not counter it with some reasons why we all should smoke?

Sadly, I read that and immediately thought "I quit smoking over a year ago, damnit!". Then I read the remaining bit.

There are even links to other threads discussing the smoking issue, which I am surprised haven't been merged with this one.

I would never argue that you should smoke, but I would argue that you should have the choice. We're in danger of starting yet another smoking thread a subject on which most people are already polarised.

dave

The Irish well they don't count, The Ticinese or whatever you want to call them ban it to outside ie on the Piste where they spend most of their lives. The italians ban it to the nice covered outside area of the restaurant - was there recently to see it first hand - and rely on the fact it is warm for 9 months of the year. BUT as of February the FRENCH YES FRENCH are banning it in all public places and if they can do it and get away with it and enforce it then the Swiss will have an easy time

Here is an interesting Gem...

In Switzerland there are tobacco farmers. As these "poor" farmers cannot make ends meet the Swiss government gives them CHF 50 Million of incentives...
In Switzerland the government knows that it is bad to smoke. They therefore give CHF 50 Million to smoking prevention.

Somehow that seems to me like a big waste of 100 Million of taxpayers money. Why not increase the price of a packet by 1 Franc. That will have the same if not more of an effect than the 50 Million and will bring money in rather than throwing it out. And why not let tobacco be grown in countries where it comes from...

Me too, but I've used up all my merging energy for the day. Sometimes it's just too hard so I put those links in and left it. Also the previous news on the subject was all about restaurant-related smoking, so figured we could get some mileage here.

I think it's started already.

I've never argued that smokers should not have the right to choose whether they smoke, but only that this choice should not impede on anyone else's right NOT to expose themselves to the dangers of passive smoking. Ditto for exercising that choice around kids who don't have the "choice" of going somewhere else.

So for the moment I exercise my "choice" to stay home

I think the ideas of smoking bars or smoking lounges is great. Except many smokers might not want to go, complaining that it is too smokey - ironic?

Is getting upset about the current situation militant? If I did something else to invade someone's personal space they might well be offended (fart, touch them, put something in their food) and give me a militant reaction. But allowing smoke to waft in my direction is somehow not offensive and I'm not allowed to react because they are exercising their choice to smoke?

I think in 10 years we'll look back at issues like this and say "what were we thinking". Remember back to the days where everyone smoked at work and nobody got a say in it? Those days weren't that long ago in Switzerland...

and meantimes there is always here http://www.eat-smokefree.ch/

IMHO, smokers can do what they want. But do it away from me.

Like you Mark, we used to out 2-3 times a week for a meal elsewhere.
Now, very rarely...

Edit: We know Swiss people who claim they haven't eaten out in over 10 years because of smoking...

I find it odd that Gastro Suisse claim there is no support for a smoking ban (or whatever) - it's almost like they are saying that only smokers go out and spend money in bars and restaurants, and that banning smoking will cause these high rolling smokers to stay at home...

An interesting third option to having a complete ban on smoking or to have separate areas for smokers and non-smokers is to allow smokers only on certain nights of the week. There's a bar in Lausanne that is currently doing this, however it's obviously not a perfect system because I can't remember which nights are which (or the name of the bar).

My wife and I are similar to many others on this thread - often choosing not to go out to bars or restaurants because of the smoke. We moved here last year from a wonderfully smoke-free town in Ontario, Canada, and hadn't appreciated how spoiled we were there.

Also on the no-smoking nights you'll have the background smell of the previous night...

For people who live in Kantons Neuchatel, Vaud or Fribourg, you can sign a petition for a law against passive smoking if you find their stands in the centre of the large cities on Saturdays.

Apparently, they already have half the amount needed. What is not clear to me is whether this is aimed at a national referendum or at local ones.

You do not have to be Swiss, the official rule seems to be that you have to have been in the kanton for five years.
"les étrangères et les étrangers du même âge qui sont au bénéfice d’une autorisation d’établissement et qui ont leur domicile
dans le canton depuis au moins cinq ans."

http://www.neuchsansfumee.info