Little guide to know where It is good (or not) to smoke

I smoke. Not a heavy tar smoker (I try to not disturb my man with it or the non-smokers around me) but one thing I hardly can stand, is to not be able to smoke when I want to. So for me and you, this is a quick European guide where you can smoke (or not). Lately, several European governments decided to repeal or to push away the application of the laws relative to the ban to smoke in the public places. Bulgaria obtained the title of chief of the renegade when, on April 28th of this year, its Parliament voted against the projects aiming a total ban to smoke in cafés, bars and restaurants. It claimed that it was going to weaken a little more this sector already got by the crisis, although to smoke was forbidden since 2005. In Hungary, the ban is at the moment in wait and Croatia postponed for six months to bars and to cafés (this period has hardly just come to an end). Meanwhile Spain pushed away úntil 2011 its proposition of ban, which raises certain doubts on his real will to forbid one day the cig. Nevertheless 7 Spanish on 10 are in favour of a ban to smoke. Smokers of Gitanes or Gauloises : endangered piecies ¦ The cigarette without filter is particularly harmful for the health … The first countries which ban smoking in the public places are not necessarily the ones which apply the law most severely. Nevertheless, when it is a question of banishing the cigarette, Ireland and Italy lead the dance since 2005 and take place respectively in the third and in the fourth world place (after Iceland and Canada). Ireland even created the Office of Tobacco Control so that the accommodating non-smokers can indicate malpractices. If you are smokers, you will certainly prefer to go to Italy and so to smoke while taking advantage of the sun in the numerous bars, the restaurants and the clubs possessing an outside terrace. It would not then be surprising that France claims to have been the first one to establish a limitation with the law Evin of 1991 which aimed at forbidding to smoke in all the public places, with the exception of bars, cafés and of all the "cool" places. In 2008, It aligned itself with Italy and Ireland with a complete ban. But, altogether, the French people are not totally dissatisfied with the change and these eternal smokers of Gauloises (at least according to their reputation) take advantage even of these fortuitous conversations begun on the occasion of a break cigarette. In English, we moreover invented a word for this new dimension of seduction, the "smirting", contraction enters "smoke" and " flirting ". In certain countries, the ban was not very well welcomed. It is in particular the case for Cyprus ( 2010 ), Austria and Greece (on 2009 - according to a report dating 2009, half of the adults in Greece smokes), Estonia, the United Kingdom and Slovenia ( 2007 ) and finally Malta ( 2004 ). In Sweden ( 2005 ) the proposition was subjected to a vote by approval which led to the ban to smoke in prisons. In Finland and in Lithuania ( 2007 ), it is possible to smoke in certain cars of trains provided that no food is consumed there. Most of these countries authorize the cigarette in bars, clubs and restaurants which are very often tiny places welcoming many people. An additional way to make unexpected meetings, if you are not afraid of the passive smoking. In Luxembourg and in Belgium, restaurants become non-smoking during the business hours Certain countries set up light versions of the ban, limiting it to places serving food. In Luxembourg, the law adapts itself to the schedules of the meals. In the establishments of catering, it is non smoking between 12 am and 2 pm then between 7 pm and 9 pm. Belgium applies the same model but did not define time slots so rigorous. Other countries opted for an ambiguous interpretation of rules. In Portugal, the smokers can devote themselves to their pleasure in places where "suitable systems of ventilation" is to be found. If they do not respect this condition, the penalties are exemplary. Softer version, bars and restaurants of Czech Republic do not possess non-smoking rooms, but their managers must indicate their polícy to their customers by a small word on their shop window. Since the ban to smoke in bars in France, local residents' associations disagree even more with smokers. According to them, the smokers make too much noise outside bars. Soon the ban to speak ? Sometimes, a law is complicated because the political organization is. Germany being a federal country, there is as many as law about the cig as there are Läner in the country. For example, in Hamburg the bill is always subject of negotiations while in Berlin, the law was introduced then repealed. Bavaria had the strictest legislation but clever bar owners found a fault there and transformed their establishment into "private club" and were no more subjected to the law. Naturally these liberal renowned countries are the closest to what an European tourist could qualify as "paradise of the smoker". For example, the law was introduced in Denmark in 2007 but it does not apply in the free Municipality of Christiania (as a lot of other laws). Luckily, the more we move in Europe and the more the situation becomes liberal. Let us take the example of the Netherlands: in spite of the fact of having been the first country to forbid to smoke in its main airport, it is always possible to go in coffee shop and to find alternatives to the cigarette, which, according to the law, must be consumed without being mixed with tobacco. It is not certainly the most liberal situation, but it allows you to forget a little bit this restriction. Altogether, places in Europe welcome less and less smokers. And the amount of the fines make you respect these laws. Owners of bars and clubs know very well that by being too strict they will harm their business, but most cannot allow themselves to be indulgent towards their customers. If you are a smoker, just make sure to know how to protect yourself from the sun (or the rain) when you will have to use the smoker area outside. And if you are non-smoker, you can be delighted because, sunny or not, your summer will not (too much) be filled with smoke.