up in smoke

so apparently, the full ban on smoking in public places is set to come into effect on January 1, 2007. Great news for non-smokers like me, for sure, but not just them. I understand people that smoke who feel that this is an infringement on their personal freedoms, but really in such a situation where two sides cannot coexist without one's behavior impacting negatively the other, it is the only way.

After living in Paris for close to ten years, I'm not going to say I don't mind cigarette smoke, because I do, but I have sort of gotten used to it. Still as someone who is moderately allergic to smoke, I definitely notice when i stay in a smokey environment. You eyes and throat sting, and you feel a bit dizzy if you stay too long. Some (mostly smokers in my personal experience) have been saying that separate sections for smokers and non-smokers were an acceptable solution. But truthfully, if there are people smoking in a closed environment like a restaurant or a bar, you're going to notice it sooner or later. And the same goes for terrasses, which tend to be static-air environments. Nowadays in Paris it's impossible to go out to proper bars and not come out smelling like a stale Gauloise. Getting soaked by a spillt beer happens, but having to clean your jeans every single time you go out because of cigarettes tends to get tedious after a while. Bar and restaurant owners fear many people will stop going out and prefer to stay in their homes so they can keep lighting up. But man is by essence a social being, and I'd be surprised if revenues for cafes and restaurants drop significantly once the law is actually applied.

And this is only from a lifestyle POV, without getting into the argument of health-care costs. One of the issues in France on that aspect is that the government actually makes money on both ends, since it taxes-dearly- a product it is also involved in selling (through Altadis). Yet the costs of caring for all the people suffering from tobacco-related illnesses has to be a staggering amount, and if I weren't so lazy I might try to search around for some information on that. But since I am I'll believe what I've read in recent articles on the subject, in The Economist and other publications.

Bottom line is this is a trend that's been unavoidable in recent years, and which is not borne by freedom-hating puritans, as some would have you believe, but mostly by logical interests of public health. And the result of such a ban can only be a good thing for society at large.