Critical Times

AUSTRALIA
Smoking was banned on Manly, one of Australia’s most famous and picturesque stretches of surfing beach, in May 2004.

Other Sydney areas – including the world-famous Bondi Beach – are reported to be considering following suit.

Smoking is already banned in all airports, government offices, health clinics and workplaces in Australia. Restaurants and shopping centres in most states and territories are also smoke-free zones.

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BHUTAN
The sale of tobacco products has been banned throughout the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan.

It is believed to be the first country to have done this.

The move is part of the government’s strategy for predominantly Buddhist Bhutan to eventually become a smoke-free nation.

Smoking was only popular with a small percentage of the Bhutanese population, correspondents say. Chewing tobacco was much more common.

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CANADA
Smoking levels are some of the lowest in the world, with some 21% of Canadians over the age of 15 reported smoking in 2002, according to government statistics.

Public health experts say the decline has been driven by tough anti-smoking measures adopted in recent years.

In addition to bans on smoking in workplaces and many public places, cigarette packets bear graphic images of the damage done to internal organs by smoking.

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CUBA
Smoking was banned on public transport, in shops and other closed spaces from 7 February, 2005.

The authorities are seeking to curb damage to people’s health and help bring about a change in public attitudes.

More than half of Cuban adults are thought to smoke, and 30% of preventable cancer deaths are said to be linked to smoking.

Cuban leader Fidel Castro – a cigar aficionado in the early days of his left-wing revolution – kicked the habit in 1986 for health reasons.

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EUROPE
Estonia joins those European countries banning smoking in bars and restaurants on 5 June, 2007.

Finland introduced a similar measure on 1 June.

France took a major step towards a total public ban when it announced it would prevent smoking in workplaces and other public buildings from 1 February 2007.

It also heralded plans to expand the curbs in 2008 to include cafes, restaurants and bars.

Its first serious move to cut smoking levels came in October 2003, when it raised the price of cigarettes by 20%.

The move provoked a strike from furious tobacconists, many fearing being forced out of business by smokers crossing borders to buy cigarettes in neighbouring countries.

Analysts said the plan was driven by government concern that smoking levels were not declining fast enough in France, and a need to fill an $8.5bn shortfall in the country’s health budget.

Despite the price hike, correspondents reported no noticeable difference in Paris’ traditionally smoke-filled cafes and bars.

The new moves were seen by many as an inevitable consequence.

Ireland imposed tough anti-smoking legislation in March 2004, banning smoking in pubs, restaurants and other enclosed workplaces.

Anyone caught smoking in a prohibited location now faces a fine of up to 3,000 euros (£2,000).

Despite fears the ban would be widely flouted, BBC correspondent James Helm reported most smokers in pubs adopting a pragmatic view and popping outside to the street or beer garden for a puff between pints.

Italy imposed a ban on smoking in all enclosed public places including bars and restaurants from midnight on 10 January, 2005.

Businesses face a fine of up to 2,000 euros (£1,395) if they fail to ensure their customers do not smoke, while smokers themselves could face a 275-euro (£191) for repeatedly ignoring the new rules.

Not everyone has been so supportive of the new move

The ban has not been welcomed by all, with some bar owners and smokers saying they will ignore the ban on the grounds that cigarettes and smoking are an integral part of Italian bar and cafe culture.

The new rules allow smoking in special sealed-off areas fitted with smoke extractors; however many bar owners say fitting the automatic doors and forced ventilation systems required by law is too expensive.

Tobacconists reported a 20% fall in cigarette sales in the weeks immediately after the ban came into force.

Montenegro: The union of Montenegro and Serbia has one of the highest rates of smoking in Europe, with 40% lighting up regularly.

In August 2004, the Montenegrin part of the union decided to introduce a sweeping ban on smoking in public places in the hope of overturning an established culture of smoking in offices, restaurants, bars and on buses.

Now under the new rules, tobacco advertising and the portrayal of smoking on television will also be banned.

The Netherlands: A tough crackdown on smoking from 1 January 2004 saw cigarettes banned from many public places including railway stations, trains, toilets and offices.

The government also warned hotels, bars and restaurants they would face further measures unless they adopted their own controls on smoking.

Some 30% of the Netherlands’ 16 million population are smokers – a higher rate than all other European Union countries except Spain, Greece and Germany.

Norway: A national ban was imposed on smoking in restaurants, bars and cafes from 1 June 2004.

The government says the ban is to protect staff working in these establishments from passive smoking and to “de-normalise” smoking as a social pastime.

Tobacco advertising has been prohibited in Norway for 30 years and a packet of cigarettes costs about £6.

Despite this, one in three people smokes cigarettes, and there has been a rise in tobacco-related deaths.

Spain: A new law banning smoking in offices, shops, schools, hospitals, cultural centres and on public transport was introduced on 1 January, 2006.

Businesses occupying more than 100sq m have eight months to set up a separate smoking area. Smaller premises have to indicate whether they are smoke-free.

The government says the ban is necessary because smoking is the biggest killer in Spain, with 50,000 smoking-related deaths annually.

Surveys show that about 30% of Spaniards smoke.

A government-sponsored opinion poll released in December showed more than 70% of respondents backed the ban.

Sweden: Smoking was prohibited in all bars and restaurants from midnight in May 2005.

A majority of people questioned in a Temo poll welcomed the ban.

Establishments wanting to allow smoking are required to have a closed-off section with specially-designed ventilation, where no food or drink can be served. But most venues were not expected to be able to afford such renovations.

The ban followed lobbying by the country’s licensing sector which said bar and restaurant staff were more likely to suffer lung cancer than in any other profession.

The new restriction could spell a rise in the centuries-old use of “snus” – moist snuff placed under the lip enjoyed by more than 1m Swedes.

United Kingdom: After resisting calls to ban smoking in the workplace, instead preferring a voluntary approach from employers, the government has shifted its position.

It plans to implement a full ban on smoking in the workplace in England from July 2007.

Scotland introduced a similar ban in March 2006, while Wales and Northern Ireland introduced theirs in April 2007.

People smoking in pubs, restaurants, offices and on public transport face on-the-spot fines of £50, while those in charge of the premises could also be fined for allowing smoking.

The pub industry has warned of the potential impact on trade and has been calling for smoking-room areas.

About 30% of adults under the age of 65 smoke in the UK, according to recent research conducted by Imperial College in London.

An estimated 42% of people under the age of 65 are exposed to tobacco smoke at home and 11% at work.

The issue of passive smoking has been at the centre of an intense debate between pro and anti-smoking groups, with each side contesting the validity of each other’s statistics.

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INDIA
India has been tightening laws on smoking in public places in an effort to curb high levels of tobacco addiction – to little effect.

Anti-smoking laws in India are widely flouted

Recent laws have banned direct and indirect advertising of tobacco products and the sale of cigarettes to children. Anyone caught breaking the law will be fined 200 rupees ($4.50).

According to a 1996 survey reported by AP news agency, 112 million people smoke tobacco in India, while some 96 million use tobacco products like chewing tobacco.

However the BBC’s Abishek Prabhat says a lack of money and resources has meant such anti-smoking measures have not been enforced.

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IRAN
Iran banned smoking in public buildings and tobacco advertising in October 2003 – but both measures have had little effect.

Smoking was banned in religious and administrative buildings, as well as hotels, restaurants, airports, cinemas and sports centres.

Despite this, the ban is largely ignored and laws rarely enforced.

Statistics show smoking is on the rise among young Iranians.

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KENYA
The government has been drafting a bill to outlaw smoking in public places.

Among the provisions of the proposed legislation are a 15% tax increase on tobacco and penalties for smoking in churches, schools, bars, restaurants and sports stadiums.

Tobacco kills 8,000 smokers in Kenya each year and second-hand smoke kills 4,000, according to official figures.

Smoking generates 5bn shillings ($65m) for the Kenyan government but costs five times as much in disease, disability and death.

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SINGAPORE
There is a wide-ranging ban on smoking in public places, most recently updated in 2005.

It includes food shops, restaurants, public halls and function rooms, offices, factories, banks and health premises.

Smoking is also prohibited on public transport, including taxis.

The National Environment Agency intends to extend the ban to include pubs, bars and clubs – including outdoor refreshment areas – from July 2007.

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TANZANIA
Tanzania banned smoking in many public places in July 2003, with smoke-free zones declared on public transport, as well as in schools and hospitals.

The government also banned the selling of tobacco to under 18s and advertising on radio and television and in newspapers.

Health officials said they hoped the ban would “create an environment that will help to make the society a non-smoking one”.

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UNITED STATES
Many cities and states are considering – or already enforcing – bans on smoking.

California has some of the toughest and most extensive anti-smoking legislation anywhere in the world.

A ban on smoking inside or within 1.5 metres of any public building came into force in 1993 – recently extended to six metres. Smoking is also banned in restaurants, bars and enclosed workplaces – and on beaches – throughout the state.

In New York, smoking has been banned in bars, clubs and restaurants since March 2003.

Anti-smoking laws have provoked a strong debate in the US. Some bar owners say their businesses are suffering and smokers say their rights are being infringed, while non-smokers delight in a fresher environment.

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VENEZUELA
A limited public smoking ban in one of the heaviest-smoking countries came into force on 31 May, 2007.