• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

Why do so many Europeans smoke?

Schrodinger's Cat

Unregistered
S
Joined
Feb 11, 2010
Messages
3,456
I have both lived in Europe and traveled throughout it. One thing that has always confused me is that, compared to Americans, they are so health conscious in their diets and overall lifestyles. Yet in every country I went to, I simply could not believe how many people smoke, and how often I saw very young teens smoking. I'm not knocking on Europeans, as I said, I feel Americans are far less healthy in almost every other regard. I just don't get how Europeans can be so much more health conscious yet have so many smokers.

Obviously I am speaking generally. I realize Europe has plenty of non smokers, and that not everyone eats right and exercizes.
 
I think it depends on the city and the country.

For example, there are loads of smokers in Paris and London, and I have the funny feeling Rome is full of smokers as well.
 
Italy is bad for smokers. UK is far better than it used to be. AFAIK its something like 25% of people who are smokers now.

And at least we dont chew the stuff;)
 
Why do so many Europeans smoke?
Click to expand...

to support our government with additional tax money as they are always in need of more.

:D
 
Tatyana said:
I think it depends on the city and the country.

For example, there are loads of smokers in Paris and London, and I have the funny feeling Rome is full of smokers as well.
Click to expand...

Madrid, Munchen, and Milan as well. My youngest is asthmatic and it made restaurant dining in Europe difficult. I'm a former smoker but geez can't you snuff it for an hour or two?
 
Oddly, I recall being annoyed repeatedly in American restaurants by cigarette smokers. (Though not so annoyed as I was by my friend- a reformed pipe smoker- who made angry fanning hand wave gestures at them. I expected to be shot before I could finish my soup.)

That's not so long ago- maybe fifteen years . The situation has changed greatly in that time, on both sides of the pond.
 
Resume said:
Madrid, Munchen, and Milan as well. My youngest is asthmatic and it made restaurant dining in Europe difficult. I'm a former smoker but geez can't you snuff it for an hour or two?
Click to expand...


I don't like smoking at all.

In the UK smoking is not permitted indoors in public places. Last time I was in France they'd introduced a similar law which was widely expected to be ignored but, bizzarely, seemed to be fairly successful. Dotto Spain (well, Menorca) last year in the summer.

I am advised by a German friend that such a law was also introduced in some of the German lander (we were in Dusseldorf) but eventually struck down as unconsitutional or somesuch.

Do you have a point, caller?
 
Last edited:
There was a big old hoo-ha about the smoking ban when it was introduced, but no one even questions it now. Some pubs claim to have lost business, and any pub without a beer garden will have a little knot of 'fag lepers' (also known as 'snoutcasts') standing outside the front door, but it's widely accepted as the staus quo now.
 
In New Brunswick, Canada, it is now illegal to smoke, or allow people to smoke in any indoor public setting. Restaurants, bars, theaters, taxis. There were alot of protests from businesses before the ban went in place, but strangely, I haven't heard anyone complaining about it since.

MrQ
 
MrQhuest said:
In New Brunswick, Canada, it is now illegal to smoke, or allow people to smoke in any indoor public setting. Restaurants, bars, theaters, taxis. There were alot of protests from businesses before the ban went in place, but strangely, I haven't heard anyone complaining about it since.

MrQ
Click to expand...

There were anecdotal reports in Scotland regarding an increase in pneumonia-type illnesses following the smoking ban, apparently due to jacket-less smokers hanging about pub doorways to get their fix together with an increased susceptibility to such complaints anyway.

I kid you not.....


ps New Brunswick, Canada? I mean seriously, are you assuming we don't know where New Brunswick is, or that there are so many of them that we might need the country identified?
 
Last edited:
Naddig74 said:
There was a big old hoo-ha about the smoking ban when it was introduced, but no one even questions it now. Some pubs claim to have lost business, and any pub without a beer garden will have a little knot of 'fag lepers' (also known as 'snoutcasts') standing outside the front door, but it's widely accepted as the staus quo now.
Click to expand...


Its vastly improved my quality of life, especially the bit about banning smoking in workplaces, as it was concentrated in small areas at work, which I sometimes had to pass.

I do wonder if our defectivity yield has improved due to this, as they have to go offsite to smoke now. I had been surprised that people were allowed to smoke at a semiconductor plant, so I guess the management thought that banning it would have been worse for overall morale and productivity.
 
I doubt pubs have lost that much business. From my experience, the smoking ban is only a minor inconvience now. Going outside for a fag standing under the super warm lights is a part of UK culture now.

Staying at home, smoking and having a can of Becks doesn't compete to being able to go to the pub and have a great evening, stepping out once in a while for a smoke.
 
Undesired Walrus said:
I doubt pubs have lost that much business. From my experience, the smoking ban is only a minor inconvience now. Going outside for a fag standing under the super warm lights is a part of UK culture now.
Click to expand...
I know some people who won't go to indoor concerts now if the venue doesn't allow them to go outside for a smoke. The House of Blues here is one such place. So they are definitely losing some business, don't know how much.

As far as bars go many run into trouble because neighbors complain about the smokers crowded on the sidewalk and talking loudly.
 
The only niggle I have with the smoking ban came up when I went to see Shutter Island at the cinema. Lenny the Goat lighting up every five minutes really made me want one.
 
Way too many years ago, when I last visited New Zealand,* I couldn't partake of pub life because of the #%@*+ fug. I dearly wanted to hang about wiv a wet 'un in me 'and 'n learn about the country -- there are few better ways to conduct field research on how Mr. Bloke lives. Have things changed down there? Hello?

* A land with no game laws, lovely beer, and free camping. Hey, it's my other native country!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom