[C-U Smokefree] FW: Irish Independent story on International smoke-free laws

[Kathy Drea]

Irish Independent
November 26, 2004

WARNING: YOU ARE NOW ENTERING A SMOKE-FREE WORLD
(WELL, ALMOST ...)

   'Welcome to Norway. The only thing we smoke here is salmon." The
poster
at
Oslo airport - showing two men standing by a river proudly showing off a
fish -
reminds visitors that the Norwegians have declared war on cigarette
fumes.

   Six months after Norway became the second country in the world to
introduce a
total public smoking ban, some Norwegian pub-goers are having a tough
time.
When
the ban was introduced, an enterprising tobacco company distributed free
outdoor
gas heaters - prominently displaying the sponsor's logo - to many
Norwegian
bars
and cafes.

   However, a great many of these devices have since been removed for
safety
reasons. Proprietors fear the potential combination of loose gas
canisters
and
drunk people wieldingcigarette lighters is just too explosive for
comfort.

   The move has obvious implications for the comfort of many thousands
of
pub
smokers who now face the rigours of a bleak Nordic winter if they wish
to
indulge on a night out.

   Eight months after Ireland led the world in banning pub smoke,
countries
are
lining up in growing numbers to follow our example. The Norwegians were
the
first. But they will be joined shortly by the citizens of New Zealand.
Smoking
in all workplaces there, including pubs, will be banned from December
10.

   "It will be a day of celebration," declares Becky Freeman of ASH New
Zealand,
who points out that the Irish ban has resulted in a fall in cigarette
sales
here. Not surprisingly, smokers in New Zealand don't share her
enthusiasm.

   In Malta, smoking has been banned in pubs since early October. The
move
has
angered not just local smokers, but also holidaymakers visiting the
Mediterranean state. In one reported incident, a group of Irish tourists
reacted
with stunned disbelief when told they were not allowed to light up.
"You're
joking!" they replied. "We came to Malta to get around our ban." They
walked out
in a rage.

   In Sweden, smoking will be banned in all bars and restaurants from
next
June.
A similar law is being mooted in Portugal, and could also come into
effect
next
year. Smoking is already banned in most public places in the
Netherlands,
Canada
and Australia.

   The Scottish authorities hope their proposed ban in pubs, restaurants
and
offices will go a long way towards improving the Scots' notoriously
unhealthy
lifestyle. This might be an ambitious target in a country where
deep-fried
Mars
and Snickers bars are widely regarded as a treat.

   Legislation to go before the Scottish Parliament by Christmas will
include
hefty fines for proprietors and smokers alike. But Scots will have
plenty
of
time to get used to the idea; the ban is not expected to be introduced
until
early 2006.

   In England, the government has stopped short of a total ban. Smoking
will be
outlawed in workplaces, restaurants and most pubs. It will still be
allowed
in
bars that don't serve food. In this context, the definition of 'food'
does
not
include crisps and peanuts.

   The exemption has given rise to fears that many pubs might stop
serving
food
entirely and revert to being old-style drinking and smoking dens.

   English smokers won't find themselves out in the chilly night air
immediately. The ban is expected to be phased in gently. Smoking will be
prohibited in NHS and government buildings by 2006, and will be extended
to
enclosed public places by 2007.

   Licensed premises won't come into the loop until 2008. It is
estimated
that
up to 90% of English bars will eventually be smoke-free.

   The Welsh authorities are expected to introduce similar measures.

   The ban is likely to be part of Labour's manifesto in next year's
general
election - with the obvious potential to become a contentious political
issue.

   English anti-smoking campaigners argue that exempting some premises
is
the
plan's major flaw. Says Deborah Arnott of ASH UK: "We know from Ireland
that
what makes a ban work is to have a simple, level playing-field where you
can't
smoke in any workplaces."

   The most radical approach of all is being taken by the remote
Himalayan
state
of Bhutan. From December 17, all tobacco sales there will be banned.
Shops,
hotels, restaurants and bars have until then to dispose of their stocks.

   The country's national assembly voted last July for the ban. There
will
be a
severe fine for anybody caught selling tobacco. And a 100% tax will be
imposed
on any tobacco products brought into the country for personal
consumption.

   Bhutan is a Buddhist nation with a population of 734,000 people. The
government's stated aspiration is to increase its people's 'gross
national
happiness'.

   In the United States, the Justice Department has invoked a 1970
statute
on
racketeering, originally designed to fight the Mafia, to take on the
tobacco
giants. In possibly the biggest civil action in history, the US
authorities
are
attempting to recoup a massive $ 280 billion in 'ill-gotten gains' -
profits
made by the tobacco industry.

   The unprecedented lawsuit is based on a claim that the tobacco
companies
used
fraud and deception to sell their wares to an unsuspecting public,
boosting
their profits at huge cost to the health of millions of Americans.

   The US government is alleging that the tobacco industry conspired in
a
clandestine manner to combat the growing scientific evidence that
smoking
was
harmful. This underhand campaign, it is claimed, began with a secret
strategy
meeting at the Plaza Hotel in New York, in December 1953.

   Prosecutors say the meeting was attended by tobacco executives and a
public
relations firm. They agreed to form the Tobacco Industry Research
Committee,
which, the prosecutors claim, contrary to its quasi-scientific title,
deliberately set out to sow confusion about the links between smoking
and
ill
health.

   "The problem was not that their products were killing people," US
Justice
Department lawyer Frank Marine said in his opening submission. "Their
problem
was that people might stop smoking because of health concerns."

   The alleged conspiracy went even further, say the authorities. The
industry
worked diligently to ensure that more and more people became hooked.
Companies
designed their cigarettes to include addictive levels of nicotine,
guaranteeing
that smokers became dependant. They also marketed their products to
children.

   Lawyers for the defendants - nine tobacco companies and two industry
groups -
admit that tobacco executives may have dismissed health claims about
cigarettes.
But they say this does not amount to fraud. The trial, which started in
September, is expected to take several more months. It is likely to hear
evidence from up to 300 witnesses.

   That the case is going ahead in the present political climate is
surprising
in itself. The Bush administration, and the Republican Party
traditionally,
are
strongly allied to the tobacco industry.

   Here, publicans are blaming the smoking ban for a significant slump
in
business. In the first six months, 23 million fewer pints were sold in
Irish
bars - 339 million, compared with 362 million during the same period in
2003.

   While the new smoking law is probably not entirely responsible for
this,
it
has certainly contributed. Irish cigarette sales are also down
significantly.

   ASH Ireland chairman Professor Luke Clancy says that, despite the
huge
success of the ban, the battle is not over yet. His ultimate aim is a
tobacco-free society. One of the most effective ways of achieving this,
he
says,
is to further increase the price of cigarettes.

   Last week, millions of US smokers gave up for a day in the annual
Great
American Smoke-Out, promoted by the American Cancer Society. Organisers
in
Washington DC enlisted the help of a venerable Motown celebrity to
spread
the
word - Smokey Robinson.