Why people smoke while eating out
People like to smoke while doing business or spending their time leisurely. While dining out, they like to enjoy a fag or two. That’s the way they relax. Good food accompanied by a pleasurable cigarette can be very rewarding in a cozy restaurant.
Smoking in a restaurant appears to be very appealing, but many social activists who are organizing anti-smoking campaigns are trying to ban smoking in public in order to help people may be in a small way quit smoking. Restaurants are no exception to this rule. Why should this be so? After all, a person has the right to relax and enjoy his or her food the way he wants to. Let us observe this better.
The case for a ban
Why Ban Smoking in a Restaurant ?
- Restaurant is a public place.
- Passive smokers are also exposed to the smoke.
- Families accompanied by their children also visit restaurants, which means infants and children are exposed to smoke.
- The restaurant will become stuffy with smoke.
- No fresh air inside the premises.
- Protects non-smokers from risk of heart diseases, lung cancer and respiratory problems.
- Increase in visitors to the restaurant as non-smokers will also pay a visit.
- It is also safe for those working in restaurants as they are not exposed to the unwanted smoke.
- Nonsmokers can suffer from nausea due to lack of fresh air.
- People allergic to cigarette smoke can also visit restaurants and enjoy their outing.
Why smoking sections never worked
Many restaurants tried a middle path. A smoking section on one side, a non smoking section on the other. It failed for a simple reason. Smoke does not respect a line of tables. Air moves through the whole room within minutes. Separate rooms with separate ventilation helped a little, but very few places could afford them. That is why most countries ended up choosing a full ban instead.
The staff angle
A customer sits in a restaurant for an hour. A waiter stands in that same air for eight hours, six days a week. Bar staff had the highest exposure of any group of workers before the bans came in. Many of them do not smoke at all. That argument, more than any other, is what convinced lawmakers in most countries.
Efforts are on to ban smoking in public places. Smoking in restaurants is not also appreciated by many who are against smoking. They feel passive smokers suffer unnecessarily.
What happened after the ban in England
Smoking Ban Demands New Bar Culture
One wonders how effective has smoking ban been in England. Yes, the impact has been there. Now one finds many huddled in front of bars and clubs. In the evening hours many smoke outside these bars . People living residential areas are disturbed by such smoking culture.
Nearly 400,000 people in England have given up smoking in the initial 12 months of the ban. This is, of course, not very surprising.
Not So Obvious Effects of Ban:
- There has been tremendous increase in outside spaces and beer gardens for people to relax and enjoy. A large number of beer gardens were renovated. Pubs provide open spaces to smoke. Beer gardens are being made of backyards and wasteland
- Dry cleaning industry has also had a set back due to the smoking ban. People are now in non-smoky set-ups and their clothes do not smell of nicotine. They do not require freshening up
- Chefs in pubs are being better paid. Food is also being served in these pubs
- Pubs are also offering entertainment. Poker, live music, quiz nights or Sunday lunch is part of the deal
- Food that is being served has also improved a lot
- Since they are not allowed to smoke inside, these smokers have very reluctantly taken to the streets and also indulge in flirtations on the street
- An interesting conversation inside a pub can get interrupted, when the customers have to move outside for a fag. After all, the environ inside the pub maybe more conducive for a lively conversation
- Traditional games such as dominoes and snooker have suffered as people have to go out for a smoke
- Socialization offered by pubs has also suffered from a setback
- People having a chat with a smoker get interrupted, as the smoker keeps going out for a smoke
- The survival of many clubs is under threat due to cheap supermarket drinks and smoking ban
Health results reported after the bans
The health side of the story is where the evidence is strongest.
- Hospital admissions for heart attacks fell in several countries within a year of the ban
- Bar workers reported fewer breathing problems and less coughing within weeks
- Air quality readings inside pubs dropped sharply once smoking stopped
- Childhood asthma admissions also fell in some regions
- Quit attempts went up, since a ban gives smokers a natural reason to try
The effect on business was smaller than the industry feared. Some pubs did suffer, but cheap supermarket alcohol and the recession played a part in that too. Restaurants that served food generally did fine or better.
How other countries handled it
Ireland went first in 2004 and the rest of Europe followed. Most countries now ban smoking indoors in restaurants and bars, with some allowing sealed smoking rooms. India follows a similar rule under COTPA. Public smoking is banned, though restaurants above a certain size may keep a separate ventilated smoking area. Enforcement varies a lot from city to city.
What restaurant owners can do
- Put up clear signs at the entrance and near the bar
- Create a covered outdoor area with heating for winter
- Keep the outdoor area away from doors and windows
- Ask staff to handle reminders politely, not aggressively
- Keep noise down late at night so neighbours do not complain
Anti-smoking campaigners have no doubt appreciated the smoking ban, but those running pubs and clubs are of course not too happy about it. Yet, they have adjusted to the new legislation and made the environment in these pubs and clubs as comfortable as possible. Smokers,of course, find it very inconvenient to go out and fag.
Frequently asked questions
Is passive smoking really harmful?
Yes. Second hand smoke carries the same toxins as the smoke a smoker inhales. There is no safe level of exposure, which is why partial measures failed.
Did smoking bans hurt restaurant business?
The overall evidence says no for restaurants. Some drink led pubs struggled, but other factors were at work at the same time.
Can a restaurant have a smoking area?
It depends on the country. Many allow an outdoor area only. Some allow a sealed and separately ventilated indoor room. Check your local law before building one.
What about e cigarettes and vaping?
Rules differ. Many places treat vaping the same as smoking indoors, while others leave it to the owner. Signs should state the policy clearly either way.
