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Sipping and smoking in Ireland Lizette Alvarez/NYT NYT Monday, August 11, 2003 Can pubgoers drink and not puff? Europe holds its breath DUBLIN At the Duke pub, just off busy Grafton Street in the heart of this jovial city, smoke shimmies through the air as customers indulge in a cherished but seemingly doomed ritual: a sip from a pint, a drag on a cigarette, a sip, a drag. . On Jan. 1, Ireland is expected to become the first European country to ban smoking in pubs. The move is so bold and contentious in a country so devoted to pub culture that few in Europe, and even fewer in Ireland, believe it will succeed. Customers will be asked to step outside to light up; pub owners, most of whom oppose the ban, will risk prosecution if they fail to comply. . "It's a bad idea," said David Turner, the bartender at the Duke. "Cigarettes and alcohol are synonymous, at least in Irish culture." . It is a radical assault on smoking, especially for a European country, but Ireland is not the only one. In a sign that the antitobacco movement is gaining ground in Western Europe, a place where smoking is as much a statement as a personal habit, countries are passing strict laws to battle smoking. . "There is momentum on this issue," said Tom Power, chief executive of the Office of Tobacco Control in Ireland, an independent government agency. . Although Europe still lags far behind the United States in persuading smokers to give up the habit or bypass it altogether, governments are beginning to address more aggressively than ever the hazards and costs of smoking. . Two other countries - Norway and the Netherlands - have approved prohibitions on smoking in bars and restaurants. Norway's will take effect in the spring. The Netherlands, which is in a furor over the law, will put its ban in place in 2005. . Some countries, including nicotine-loving France, have significantly increased taxes on tobacco in the last year, a move that both hurts tobacco sales and fattens the Treasury. France is also close to approving a law that would stiffen penalties on selling cigarettes to minors, and it has even started an American-style lawsuit against tobacco companies. A state-run insurance fund in Saint-Nazaire, in western France, is suing four tobacco companies, the first lawsuit of its kind by a public authority in France. The fund is seeking to recoup the $37.8 million it has spent to treat smoking-related illnesses. . Even Greece, with one of the highest smoking rates in Europe, is expected to extend restrictions next year, lest Olympic athletes be forced to wade past noxious clouds on their way to events. . In some respects, Europe is already tougher on tobacco than the United States. All over Western Europe, enormous black and white warnings - required by a European Union law - have cropped up this year on cigarette packs. The blunt warnings, which cover 30 percent to 40 percent of the package, read "Smoking Kills" or "Smoking May Cause a Slow and Painful Death." . The European Union, led by David Byrne, its health commissioner, passed a law in December to ban tobacco advertising from radio, television and print by July 2005, something that several European countries have accomplished. Britain carried out its ban this year. The law also outlaws tobacco sponsorship of sporting events, like Formula One racing, beginning in 2005. . "Nonsmokers are becoming more aware of their rights," said Fenton Howell, spokesman for Action on Smoking and Health in Ireland. "They are articulating that much more, and we are seeing changes." . Tobacco companies are tracking many of the new initiatives in Western Europe, and in some cases, taking governments to court. But they are not too worried about European sales. . British American Tobacco, the world's second-largest tobacco company, just bought Ente Tabacchi Italiano, Italy's state-owned tobacco company, for an estimated high bid of $2.6 billion. . "I think some fundamentals don't change," said Chris Proctor, director of science and regulation for British American Tobacco. "And those are that there are a lot of people who like cigarettes. Some governments are starting to forget that." . Writing a law is one thing; enforcing it is something else entirely, Proctor said. Many European countries already have antismoking laws, and they are widely ignored. France and Greece are supposed to provide no-smoking areas in restaurants, for example. . Proctor also noted that most Europeans object to a "nanny-state" mentality and anything smacking of American extremism. New York's ban on smoking in bars and restaurants has led to widespread ridicule in some parts of Europe, especially Germany, a country with a complicated history regarding smoking laws. Hitler was virulently antismoking and issued a ban on public smoking. . Antitobacco forces acknowledge an uphill cultural battle in Europe, particularly in Central Europe, where old habits die hard, and in Southern Europe, where a rebellious seize-the-day attitude is more the norm. Smoking in front of "No Smoking" signs there is especially tantalizing. . Adult smoking rates in Europe tend to hover around 30 percent to 33 percent, with some, like Sweden and Britain, lower, and others, like Greece, Hungary and Spain, higher. About 23 percent of adult Americans were regular smokers in 2001. . But lobbying groups said the fact remains that most Europeans do not smoke and dislike drinking, eating and working in smoky surroundings. . "There has been a shift in public opinion," said Trudy Prins, executive director of Stivoro, a Dutch tobacco control lobbying group. "Politicians are never the trendsetters." . Politicians may be reacting not only to constituents but also to the high cost of smoking-related illnesses, which is why ministers of health and ministers of finance often work hand-in-hand to raise taxes on cigarettes. . It is in Ireland, though, that smoking faces its most immediate threat. . Despite the outcry from pub owners, a politically powerful group, Health Minister Micheal Martin reiterated this month that he will not back down. Martin has the power to extend the smoking ban under a 2002 law, and he has made the issue a linchpin in his career. All that is needed is Parliament's approval, which looks all but certain. . Unions for pub employees have pushed for the ban, arguing that their bartenders are hurt by secondhand smoke. Pub owners, though, are lobbying vigorously against the measure. . "This is one of the more horrible things exported from the United States," said Tadg O'Sullivan, chief executive of the Vintners' Federation of Ireland, which represents 6,000 pubs outside of Dublin. "The economic impact is simply incalculable. And there is a huge social impact. There are some places where the only social outlet is a pub." . Whether a ban will hurt pubs is hotly debated. In California, studies show that business has actually improved. In other places, like New York, where a ban on smoking in bars took effect on March 30, it is too early to tell. . Power, of the Tobacco Control office, said surveys indicate that most Irish people support a smoking ban. . Angry smokers vow to stay home and drink. But they are quick to admit that they cannot stay home forever. "People will get bored of drinking at home," said David Sexton, 31, a smoker. "Everything revolves around the pub here." . The New York Times < < Back to Start of Article Can pubgoers drink and not puff? Europe holds its breath DUBLIN At the Duke pub, just off busy Grafton Street in the heart of this jovial city, smoke shimmies through the air as customers indulge in a cherished but seemingly doomed ritual: a sip from a pint, a drag on a cigarette, a sip, a drag. . On Jan. 1, Ireland is expected to become the first European country to ban smoking in pubs. The move is so bold and contentious in a country so devoted to pub culture that few in Europe, and even fewer in Ireland, believe it will succeed. Customers will be asked to step outside to light up; pub owners, most of whom oppose the ban, will risk prosecution if they fail to comply. . "It's a bad idea," said David Turner, the bartender at the Duke. "Cigarettes and alcohol are synonymous, at least in Irish culture." . It is a radical assault on smoking, especially for a European country, but Ireland is not the only one. In a sign that the antitobacco movement is gaining ground in Western Europe, a place where smoking is as much a statement as a personal habit, countries are passing strict laws to battle smoking. . "There is momentum on this issue," said Tom Power, chief executive of the Office of Tobacco Control in Ireland, an independent government agency. . Although Europe still lags far behind the United States in persuading smokers to give up the habit or bypass it altogether, governments are beginning to address more aggressively than ever the hazards and costs of smoking. . Two other countries - Norway and the Netherlands - have approved prohibitions on smoking in bars and restaurants. Norway's will take effect in the spring. The Netherlands, which is in a furor over the law, will put its ban in place in 2005. . Some countries, including nicotine-loving France, have significantly increased taxes on tobacco in the last year, a move that both hurts tobacco sales and fattens the Treasury. France is also close to approving a law that would stiffen penalties on selling cigarettes to minors, and it has even started an American-style lawsuit against tobacco companies. A state-run insurance fund in Saint-Nazaire, in western France, is suing four tobacco companies, the first lawsuit of its kind by a public authority in France. The fund is seeking to recoup the $37.8 million it has spent to treat smoking-related illnesses. . Even Greece, with one of the highest smoking rates in Europe, is expected to extend restrictions next year, lest Olympic athletes be forced to wade past noxious clouds on their way to events. . In some respects, Europe is already tougher on tobacco than the United States. All over Western Europe, enormous black and white warnings - required by a European Union law - have cropped up this year on cigarette packs. The blunt warnings, which cover 30 percent to 40 percent of the package, read "Smoking Kills" or "Smoking May Cause a Slow and Painful Death." . The European Union, led by David Byrne, its health commissioner, passed a law in December to ban tobacco advertising from radio, television and print by July 2005, something that several European countries have accomplished. Britain carried out its ban this year. The law also outlaws tobacco sponsorship of sporting events, like Formula One racing, beginning in 2005. . "Nonsmokers are becoming more aware of their rights," said Fenton Howell, spokesman for Action on Smoking and Health in Ireland. "They are articulating that much more, and we are seeing changes." . Tobacco companies are tracking many of the new initiatives in Western Europe, and in some cases, taking governments to court. But they are not too worried about European sales. . British American Tobacco, the world's second-largest tobacco company, just bought Ente Tabacchi Italiano, Italy's state-owned tobacco company, for an estimated high bid of $2.6 billion. . "I think some fundamentals don't change," said Chris Proctor, director of science and regulation for British American Tobacco. "And those are that there are a lot of people who like cigarettes. Some governments are starting to forget that." . Writing a law is one thing; enforcing it is something else entirely, Proctor said. Many European countries already have antismoking laws, and they are widely ignored. France and Greece are supposed to provide no-smoking areas in restaurants, for example. . Proctor also noted that most Europeans object to a "nanny-state" mentality and anything smacking of American extremism. New York's ban on smoking in bars and restaurants has led to widespread ridicule in some parts of Europe, especially Germany, a country with a complicated history regarding smoking laws. Hitler was virulently antismoking and issued a ban on public smoking. . Antitobacco forces acknowledge an uphill cultural battle in Europe, particularly in Central Europe, where old habits die hard, and in Southern Europe, where a rebellious seize-the-day attitude is more the norm. Smoking in front of "No Smoking" signs there is especially tantalizing. . Adult smoking rates in Europe tend to hover around 30 percent to 33 percent, with some, like Sweden and Britain, lower, and others, like Greece, Hungary and Spain, higher. About 23 percent of adult Americans were regular smokers in 2001. . But lobbying groups said the fact remains that most Europeans do not smoke and dislike drinking, eating and working in smoky surroundings. . "There has been a shift in public opinion," said Trudy Prins, executive director of Stivoro, a Dutch tobacco control lobbying group. "Politicians are never the trendsetters." . Politicians may be reacting not only to constituents but also to the high cost of smoking-related illnesses, which is why ministers of health and ministers of finance often work hand-in-hand to raise taxes on cigarettes. . It is in Ireland, though, that smoking faces its most immediate threat. . Despite the outcry from pub owners, a politically powerful group, Health Minister Micheal Martin reiterated this month that he will not back down. Martin has the power to extend the smoking ban under a 2002 law, and he has made the issue a linchpin in his career. All that is needed is Parliament's approval, which looks all but certain. . Unions for pub employees have pushed for the ban, arguing that their bartenders are hurt by secondhand smoke. Pub owners, though, are lobbying vigorously against the measure. . "This is one of the more horrible things exported from the United States," said Tadg O'Sullivan, chief executive of the Vintners' Federation of Ireland, which represents 6,000 pubs outside of Dublin. "The economic impact is simply incalculable. And there is a huge social impact. There are some places where the only social outlet is a pub." . Whether a ban will hurt pubs is hotly debated. In California, studies show that business has actually improved. In other places, like New York, where a ban on smoking in bars took effect on March 30, it is too early to tell. . Power, of the Tobacco Control office, said surveys indicate that most Irish people support a smoking ban. . Angry smokers vow to stay home and drink. But they are quick to admit that they cannot stay home forever. "People will get bored of drinking at home," said David Sexton, 31, a smoker. "Everything revolves around the pub here." . The New York Times Can pubgoers drink and not puff? Europe holds its breath DUBLIN At the Duke pub, just off busy Grafton Street in the heart of this jovial city, smoke shimmies through the air as customers indulge in a cherished but seemingly doomed ritual: a sip from a pint, a drag on a cigarette, a sip, a drag. . On Jan. 1, Ireland is expected to become the first European country to ban smoking in pubs. The move is so bold and contentious in a country so devoted to pub culture that few in Europe, and even fewer in Ireland, believe it will succeed. Customers will be asked to step outside to light up; pub owners, most of whom oppose the ban, will risk prosecution if they fail to comply. . "It's a bad idea," said David Turner, the bartender at the Duke. "Cigarettes and alcohol are synonymous, at least in Irish culture." . It is a radical assault on smoking, especially for a European country, but Ireland is not the only one. In a sign that the antitobacco movement is gaining ground in Western Europe, a place where smoking is as much a statement as a personal habit, countries are passing strict laws to battle smoking. . "There is momentum on this issue," said Tom Power, chief executive of the Office of Tobacco Control in Ireland, an independent government agency. . Although Europe still lags far behind the United States in persuading smokers to give up the habit or bypass it altogether, governments are beginning to address more aggressively than ever the hazards and costs of smoking. . Two other countries - Norway and the Netherlands - have approved prohibitions on smoking in bars and restaurants. Norway's will take effect in the spring. The Netherlands, which is in a furor over the law, will put its ban in place in 2005. . Some countries, including nicotine-loving France, have significantly increased taxes on tobacco in the last year, a move that both hurts tobacco sales and fattens the Treasury. France is also close to approving a law that would stiffen penalties on selling cigarettes to minors, and it has even started an American-style lawsuit against tobacco companies. A state-run insurance fund in Saint-Nazaire, in western France, is suing four tobacco companies, the first lawsuit of its kind by a public authority in France. The fund is seeking to recoup the $37.8 million it has spent to treat smoking-related illnesses. . Even Greece, with one of the highest smoking rates in Europe, is expected to extend restrictions next year, lest Olympic athletes be forced to wade past noxious clouds on their way to events. . In some respects, Europe is already tougher on tobacco than the United States. All over Western Europe, enormous black and white warnings - required by a European Union law - have cropped up this year on cigarette packs. The blunt warnings, which cover 30 percent to 40 percent of the package, read "Smoking Kills" or "Smoking May Cause a Slow and Painful Death." . The European Union, led by David Byrne, its health commissioner, passed a law in December to ban tobacco advertising from radio, television and print by July 2005, something that several European countries have accomplished. Britain carried out its ban this year. The law also outlaws tobacco sponsorship of sporting events, like Formula One racing, beginning in 2005. . "Nonsmokers are becoming more aware of their rights," said Fenton Howell, spokesman for Action on Smoking and Health in Ireland. "They are articulating that much more, and we are seeing changes." . Tobacco companies are tracking many of the new initiatives in Western Europe, and in some cases, taking governments to court. But they are not too worried about European sales. . British American Tobacco, the world's second-largest tobacco company, just bought Ente Tabacchi Italiano, Italy's state-owned tobacco company, for an estimated high bid of $2.6 billion. . "I think some fundamentals don't change," said Chris Proctor, director of science and regulation for British American Tobacco. "And those are that there are a lot of people who like cigarettes. Some governments are starting to forget that." . Writing a law is one thing; enforcing it is something else entirely, Proctor said. Many European countries already have antismoking laws, and they are widely ignored. France and Greece are supposed to provide no-smoking areas in restaurants, for example. . Proctor also noted that most Europeans object to a "nanny-state" mentality and anything smacking of American extremism. New York's ban on smoking in bars and restaurants has led to widespread ridicule in some parts of Europe, especially Germany, a country with a complicated history regarding smoking laws. Hitler was virulently antismoking and issued a ban on public smoking. . Antitobacco forces acknowledge an uphill cultural battle in Europe, particularly in Central Europe, where old habits die hard, and in Southern Europe, where a rebellious seize-the-day attitude is more the norm. Smoking in front of "No Smoking" signs there is especially tantalizing. . Adult smoking rates in Europe tend to hover around 30 percent to 33 percent, with some, like Sweden and Britain, lower, and others, like Greece, Hungary and Spain, higher. About 23 percent of adult Americans were regular smokers in 2001. . But lobbying groups said the fact remains that most Europeans do not smoke and dislike drinking, eating and working in smoky surroundings. . "There has been a shift in public opinion," said Trudy Prins, executive director of Stivoro, a Dutch tobacco control lobbying group. "Politicians are never the trendsetters." . Politicians may be reacting not only to constituents but also to the high cost of smoking-related illnesses, which is why ministers of health and ministers of finance often work hand-in-hand to raise taxes on cigarettes. . It is in Ireland, though, that smoking faces its most immediate threat. . Despite the outcry from pub owners, a politically powerful group, Health Minister Micheal Martin reiterated this month that he will not back down. Martin has the power to extend the smoking ban under a 2002 law, and he has made the issue a linchpin in his career. All that is needed is Parliament's approval, which looks all but certain. . Unions for pub employees have pushed for the ban, arguing that their bartenders are hurt by secondhand smoke. Pub owners, though, are lobbying vigorously against the measure. . "This is one of the more horrible things exported from the United States," said Tadg O'Sullivan, chief executive of the Vintners' Federation of Ireland, which represents 6,000 pubs outside of Dublin. "The economic impact is simply incalculable. And there is a huge social impact. There are some places where the only social outlet is a pub." . Whether a ban will hurt pubs is hotly debated. In California, studies show that business has actually improved. In other places, like New York, where a ban on smoking in bars took effect on March 30, it is too early to tell. . Power, of the Tobacco Control office, said surveys indicate that most Irish people support a smoking ban. . Angry smokers vow to stay home and drink. But they are quick to admit that they cannot stay home forever. "People will get bored of drinking at home," said David Sexton, 31, a smoker. "Everything revolves around the pub here." . The New York Times Can pubgoers drink and not puff? Europe holds its breath DUBLIN At the Duke pub, just off busy Grafton Street in the heart of this jovial city, smoke shimmies through the air as customers indulge in a cherished but seemingly doomed ritual: a sip from a pint, a drag on a cigarette, a sip, a drag. . On Jan. 1, Ireland is expected to become the first European country to ban smoking in pubs. The move is so bold and contentious in a country so devoted to pub culture that few in Europe, and even fewer in Ireland, believe it will succeed. Customers will be asked to step outside to light up; pub owners, most of whom oppose the ban, will risk prosecution if they fail to comply. . "It's a bad idea," said David Turner, the bartender at the Duke. "Cigarettes and alcohol are synonymous, at least in Irish culture." . It is a radical assault on smoking, especially for a European country, but Ireland is not the only one. In a sign that the antitobacco movement is gaining ground in Western Europe, a place where smoking is as much a statement as a personal habit, countries are passing strict laws to battle smoking. . "There is momentum on this issue," said Tom Power, chief executive of the Office of Tobacco Control in Ireland, an independent government agency. . Although Europe still lags far behind the United States in persuading smokers to give up the habit or bypass it altogether, governments are beginning to address more aggressively than ever the hazards and costs of smoking. . Two other countries - Norway and the Netherlands - have approved prohibitions on smoking in bars and restaurants. |
