No Smoking in Restos in France including Paris

[boston]

Having been in Paris the past week, I absolutely agree.

I can also say we know where all the smokers have gone. They have "stormed" the side walks.

In front of every store. at the service entrance of every hotel, there are the staff in there beautiful costumes smoking away. Late night Merry and I have waded through the desparate smokers just out side the bar or restuarant having a smoke.

I suspect policy will eventually have to deal with this as well just as in the states.

sandy

[pennylane]

I must say that I'm quite surprised at the apparent docility about the new law. I haven't seen a single infraction and, in my presence at least, none of our smoking French friends have complained.

I had expected that at least some of our local and pretty remote cafes/ bars would turn a blind eye to local smokers, but not so so far.

←

Same here - in fact, whenever people outside of France mentioned the upcoming law, I would always pooh-pooh it, saying that it was meaningless because it would never actually be enforced, it would be just like the dog excrement law, etc. etc. But then when the law actually went into effect, I couldn't have been more bouleversee by what happened. I have yet to hear one person complain, including smokers.

But if you think about it, it was always a little weird how the French, supposedly so gastronomically inclined, could put up with clouds of smoke billowing around them as they ate. And reading old restaurant reviews on cityvox and other such sites, I've come across a lot of negative reviews, even from smokers, about poorly-ventilated restaurants. So perhaps that could be part of the reason they've been so seemingly happy to comply.

[John Talbott]

After a month's interdiction, RTL radio said that restaurant/cafe owners were down 5% business in cities and 9% in rural areas but in today's Figaro Delphine Chayet had an article quoting a Oscour/INVS showing that so far since January 1st there have been 15% fewer coronary infarcts and fewer strokes going to the ER despite the fact that cigarette consumption has held steady. Reduction of second-hand smoke in restaurants perhaps?

[RandyB]

There have been non-smoking restos in Paris for several years. What I am really looking forward to when I arrive this Friday is non-smoking JAZZ BARS!