Clean Air Finally Comes to Germany!
In an unprecedented act of good judgment on the part of the feds here in Germany, it has FINALLY been voted that smoking will be outlawed in German restaurants and bars!!
YEAH! Only 15 years behind California. Not bad. But by the time the individual German states get the programs in place to implement this fine law, it could be well into 2008. I’ll wait. I think it’s the greatest thing to happen to this country, health-wise, in a long while. Take a look at the outcome in California….15 years later, hardly anyone smokes anymore! Consider that the German government funds a tremendous amount of national health care… you’d think they’d have banned smoking, drinking, red meat, fast living, and bungee jumping YEARS ago !
Oddly, I seemed to be the only one celebrating in the streets when this announcement was made. It’s not as popular as you might think. Germans, in general (and I vastly generalize here), seem to really LIKE to smoke. With how strongly the fear of horrible death by lung cancer is grilled into us as American schoolchildren, I can’t quite understand the cigarette attraction myself. Further, there is nothing worse than going out for a delicious meal – then coming home with your freshly-washed clothes and hair smelling like a cigarette factory.
Of course, in the smokers’ defense, nearly everyone has SOME sort of a vice… from drinking to overeating to gambling to, say, less obvious ones such as overly-obsessive-money-saving, obsessive spending, hyper-cleanliness, over-the-top religious tendencies, etc etc. However, smoking is one of those vices that affect everyone nearby in a detrimental way. There’s definitely no upside to one’s own health, and there’s definitely no valid reason to put other non-smoking individuals at risk. So bravo to the Bundesrepublik for taking THAT vice out of the daily mix !
Aha, perhaps I sound too harsh… chalk it up to 8+ months of pregnancy trying to find a clean patch of restaurant air in which to enjoy a relaxing meal without gassing my little fetus! Thank goodness we have some fine restaurants in Hamburg which offer non-smoking rooms… they have earned my grateful patronage.
Now if Germany could outlaw cold winters, cranky salespeople, and schnitzel.. the country would be close to perfect! AMEN!
March 27th, 2007 at 10:21 pm
BC has just passed a smoking ban too. No smoking in public facilities, or on the premises. I wonder if they will remove the fishbowl smoking room at the airport too?
It’s a really good thing. I won’t have to pass through a cloud of blue smoke to get into work anymore!!
March 28th, 2007 at 3:52 am
Kudos Deuschtland!!! Now, if I could get MI on the same track, my little fetus could breath easier these days. I just don’t know how much more I can tak eof Pepsi, unsweet tea and minute spaces for non-smokers not to mention all the gems in this state (no slight on those intelligent folks here, as I have yet to meet you). Congrats on making it this far and thanks for the pic. You’re one hot pregnant lady!!
Caio, Kim (traveling back to Atlanta today for some Chic-Fil-A sweet tea and Varsity hotdogs) Gotta love being preggers!!!
March 28th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
WOO HOO!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!
It’s about time, I know you are so overly excited cause I know that was one of your major complaints about Germany.
I went to a birthday party on Sunday at a park and found out from some of the smokers that were at the party that you can’t smoke on the park grounds, you have to go to the parking lot to smoke… I LOVE IT!
And yes I was an ex smoker…very glad i quit
May 18th, 2010 at 8:35 am
Lung Cancer scared the hell out of me that is why i do not smoke cigarettes anymore.*:;