2nd smoke from smokers & sensitivity

[colorisnt]

When was the last time you were in Europe, Catriona, and where? I was in England for a year and did a ton of traveling around and found that most countries had national laws forbidding smoking. England was great about this because you can go anywhere and eat and drink in peace!

[Cataboo]

I spent a lot of time in France, Belgium, Germany, Austria about 4-5 years ago. I guess probably about 2-3 weeks each in Turkey, Italy & Greece. You'd stop at a rest stop in France during a rain storm and everyone would be inside the rest stop smoking. I would like to say irregardless of whether it was signed no smoking, but I can't really remember - there was a heck of a lot of smoking. Lots of smokers in spain along the streets 2 years ago - but I was on a tour, so anytime I was in a restaurant it was usually with the rest of the tour and not with the general population (part of the part that sucks about tours)


I went to a lot of people's homes in belgium,, and I remember one new year's dinner, probably of about 20 people - 2 sisters of the host started smoking at the dinner table without asking anyone. I went outside to get some air to breath, the host found me out there and asked what I was doing - I said breathing, so he used that as an excuse to ask the sisters to stop smoking (he didn't want them smoking in his house to begin with). The sisters became very outraged about it and went on and on about how rude I was and how smokers have rights and people treat them like they're lesser people and trample all of them, setting off a mini drama. Luckily it was in flemish, so I didn't catch it all, but someone was translating for me. But anyways - after that, one of the sisters went into the bathroom to smoke because she was unwilling to do it outside as asked and apparently wasn't able to go without smoking.

Scotland and London used to be terrible about smoking - I have a lot of relatives in Scotland, so I go over fairly often - but the last couple times were for funerals/illnesses so I can't say I went out to dinner much. However, my uncle happily puffed away on cigarettes wherever - till he died of lung cancer at 80 last winter. So I think the last pleasure trip was maybe 7 years ago where I remember smokers being quite a pain.

So, maybe in the last few years smoking has changed in general in europe.

[OakLeaf]

I haven't been over there since '07, and I've never been to the UK, but everywhere we've been on the Continent, people smoke freely indoors and out. Spain, Italy, France, the Netherlands. Probably a bit less in Austria, as I recall, but not because it was against the law. In Vienna we stayed on a non-smoking floor in the hotel, and the only people on the whole floor were Americans.

[colorisnt]

I guess I had a vastly different experience. In France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, bans only allowed for smoking rooms if there was totally separate ventilation. England is completely smoke free - no smoking rooms allowed. Most of this happened in 2008 or so, though, so I was luck when I went.

[Cataboo]

Definitely when I've been there there wasn't much in the way of anti-smoking regulations. I spoke to my belgian friend I used to travel with a lot, and he says they've finally started implementing some anti-smoking laws. I used to get so irritated because I would tell people before going out "okay, I'm not going if it's smoky", they'd swear it wasn't going to be smokey, and then bring me to some 12th century little stone pub that was adorable but a thick cloud of cigarette smoke. Then I'd ask people to please not smoke, and they'd just light up right next to me while I was eating.

Or someone would take me to a non-smoking section of a restaurant - which was back when there were no requirements for separate ventilation there and the entire place would be laden with smoke.

He also said it just means there's clouds of people on the streets puffing away outside buildings.

But it's good if Europe's finally catching up.

[shootingstar]

and then bring me to some 12th century little stone pub that was adorable but a thick cloud of cigarette smoke. Then I'd ask people to please not smoke, and they'd just light up right next to me while I was eating.

..................................................
But it's good if Europe's finally catching up.

I come from a non-smoking family..that's 12 adults. Some nieces and nephews too young, so jury is still out. Most of my friends, coincidentlly do not smoke.

I am in Europe now:

restaurants still haven't solved this problem.
Smoking really appears to be a real social habit here.

In Freiburg, Germany we stayed for several days in a small hotel that was completely non-smoking. That's how they advertised themselves. Yes, this is rare. Nice clean hotel right in the historic section, great (German-style) breakfasts, etc.

Well, different attitudes and habits in different places. Some of it just feels a tad "old" school.

Idiotic and snobbish of me, but now I tend to see a bunch of people smoking furiously away, especially teens, trying to be "cool", when now it appears (to me), just so outdated hip.

[colorisnt]

I guess where I am from, I am so used to people thinking smoking is their God given right that it doesn't surprise me to see smokers. A lot more young people DID smoke in the UK, which was really unfortunate. However, if I was waiting for a bus and was unable to move and someone was smoking, I could nicely ask them to put out the cig in the meantime with little issue after explaining my allergy.

That wouldn't happen in my hometown. I have been spat at, sexually harrassed, you name it. When I was a teenager, I couldn't leave my house without a fear of a life-threatening attack. At school, kids and teachers alike smoked in the bathrooms, so I couldn't even use the bathroom at school! Where I got my BA (IU Bloomington) everything is smoke free. Where I am getting my PhD it is the same, so huge sell there.

I guess it doesn't bother me that they smoke outside because I can quickly get the heck out of dodge, but oye. Smoking indoors scares the crap out of me. I can't get out and often will get too exposed before I even know it is too bad and end up in the hospital. It terrifies me.

[Cataboo]

Maybe its' different on the coasts of the US or the DC area. Cigarette smoke wasn't around that much when I was young - so definitely no smoking anywhere near schools. Grad school, I worked in a cancer center - so there was no smoking anywhere near the entry ways of the building. My current workplace is a smoke free campus - so you see the smokers lurking out in the corner of the parking lots hiding behind dumpsters trying to get their fix.

When I was really young (late 70's), I know my parents used to have parties and they'd allow people to smoke in the house - but only in the sunroom or rooms they could ventilate and get teh smoke out of easily, and they'd send all us kids either to the basement or outside if someone was smoking. Probably by mid-80s they didn't allow anyone to smoke in the house anymore.

I've run into the attitude that smoking is someone's god given right in Europe way more than I have ever run into it in the US. The only place around the US that I've run into it is in the local Vietnamese community/shopping center - Basically a huge shopping mall full of Vietnamese restaurants and stores. Vietnamese men will sit and light up inside in the hallways underneath signs saying in like 4 languages "NO SMOKING" - and everyone tosses their trash on the floor instead of into garbage cans that are conveniently placed ever however long. Just the 3rd world mentality at play... But the restaurants have to follow health department rules and are no smoking.

[colorisnt]

Yeah, no smoking regs here. We try to get tourists into the area from Chicago, but it is hard when everything is laden in smoke. Our ex-mayor tried to even get the civic auditorium to go smoke free and it was completely shot down. There was a huge protest. when he mentioned a smoking ban, the whole town went nuts.

He was not re-elected. Government buildings were not even smoke free until the mid-90's I believe. And there is no requirement for a smoke free workplace. MI and IL are smoke free, which is great. Indiana will never be this way - especially this county. I've actually never lived anywhere else where smoking was such a right.

That said, my best friend is visiting this summer (from the UK). She smokes, but never around others (no one else in her family smokes). She is truly trying to quit and has several times, but always goes back sadly. Well, anyway, she was FLOORED that you could smoke in areas where children would be present or indoors when you are trying to eat. I think she said smoking while eating was "disgusting". That was funny to me, as she smokes. However, she doesn't think everyone should have to choose to smoke because one person decided to do it.