"Governments around
the world are becoming
increasingly health
conscious"
World of Heineken 38 summer 2008
In March 2004, Ireland became the first
country in Europe to impose a blanket ban
prohibiting smoking in the workplace and in
public; the legislation included bars, cafés and
restaurants. Since that time, numerous nations
have followed suit, including Australia, France,
Italy, the UK, South Africa and Spain.
On the surface, the European trend towards
public bans on smoking has very little to
do with the beer market or the hospitality
sector. This legislation is being put into
place to protect the health of employees
in the workplace. Flowever, the fact that
bars, cafés and restaurants are workplaces
themselves means they too fall under the
bans. Governments around the world are
becoming increasingly health conscious, and
the restrictions on smoking in public places is
only a part of this phenomenon.
NO SMOKING
In general, visitors are
forbidden to smoke in a café, bar or
restaurant in markets where a smoking ban
has been introduced. There are of course local
variations to the rules, in particular relating
to smoking on outside terraces. In some
countries, such as the Netherlands (where a
smoking ban is set to be imposed on July 01,
2008), consumers will be allowed to smoke
and be served on terraces, even when they
are covered. In France, smoking is permitted
on open and covered terraces, provided there
is an adequate flow of air.
Another area where local laws tend to differ
relates to the concept of a smoking area or
rooms. Smoking is permitted inside pubs and
clubs, provided the smoking area is distinctly
separated from the rest of the outlet and that
the room is sealed off and fitted with proper
ventilation. In some markets (such as
the Netherlands), guests are allowed to
eat and drink in the smoking room, but staff
are not permitted to serve them there. In
Finland, these specially designated areas are
for smoking only - consumption of food and
drink is not permitted.
In light of these variations, outlet owners and
managers, as well as their patrons, need to
be well informed about the rules that apply in
their market. Legislation requires that signs
and stickers detailing the applicable rules are
clearly posted in on-premise outlets.
BOUNCING BACK
While many countries have imposed limited
restrictions on smoking in public for years
(Australia and the United States are just two
examples), the Irish were the first to introduce
an all out ban.
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