Thursday, April 19, 2012

Non-Smoking in Paris

Just a friendly note for all non-smokers. From my experience so far in Paris most people smoke. They smoke every where, anytime.





If you go into a restaurant and ask for non-smoking they will usually stick your by the kitchen doors, or in some odd location.





In the end it does not matter because the smoking people sit in the non-smoking section and smoke as well.





So there really is no non-smoking section.





It is hard to enjoy a meal when you have people smoking all around you.




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This is completely exagerated ! !





I live in Paris, and as a non smoker, I can say that many efforts have been made to have places left for us, especially in restaurants. It is now compulsory for each restaurant to have non smoker tables. And the government is now on creating a new law that will prohibit to smoke in bars and clubs.



But it is true that in cafés and pubs, it is very hard not to be bothered by the smoke.





Advice for non smokers : When entering a restaurant, ask for a non smoker table, and they will be happy to give you one. If they don%26#39;t, choose another restaurant.




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Perhaps I should have been more clear - this is %26quot;MY%26quot; experience. I have been here over two weeks and have eaten in a variety of restaurants. I ALWAYS ask for non-smoking in French and I am place in odd locations in the restaurant - like beside the kitchen, etc. Also, the non-smoking sections I am placed in always seem to end up with people smoking in them.





Tidy




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I don%26#39;t think that tidy is exaggerating much at all. Things have improved vastly in Paris, but it still has a LONG way to go before reaching the Non-Smoker%26#39;s heaven that is to be found in places like Rome, NYC and San Francisco.




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Tidy - I am in complete agreement with you; it is very difficult and although there are laws that state restaurants must provide no smoking areas it very rarely happens.





When I initially moved here I found it really amusing when I asked for a non smoking area table and they just put me where there were people (who at that time) were not smoking or the waiter just took the ashtray off my table.





I was with friends recently and asked for a non smoking table and was given one only to find smokers all round us. When I queried this I was told ours was the only non smoking table. Grrrrrrr!





Hopefully France will go the way that Australia, Scotland, Ireland (to name a few) have gone and prohibit it soon!




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Lets face it, a non smoking section does not mean you won%26#39;t be bothered by smoke. Smoke moves throught the air, and yes, your %26quot; non smoking table could be right next to a smoking section. Until there is no smoking at all, expect smoke, and sit at the outside tables up wind! LOL




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Back home in Toronto, Ontario smoking is prohibited almost EVERY WHERE.




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Yes, Tidy, we know that Europe is behind in smoking laws. Eruope is not Canada! LOL , to be fair , you must remember that it was only a few years ago that smoking was allowed everywhere here, and that California was way ahead of us!




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You are correct - I%26#39;m sure Paris will catch up with California and Canada for non-smoking.





Just as a point of reference - from the book %26quot;Great Eats in Paris%26quot; - 10th Edition it says:





Cigarette stubs make up 3 of the 20 tons of trash collected daily in the Paris Metro, even though no smoking is allowed in the trains or on the plat forms.





The anti-smoking law stipulates that all places serving food designate separate smoking and non-smoking sections. Most ignore this completely. Others relegate non-smokers to a table by the door or a table surrounded by those puffing throughout the entire meal. When a non-smoker questions the designation of such a table he or she will be told in no uncertain terms %26quot;yours IS a non-smoking table%26quot;.




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Paris restaurants have two sections: smoking and chain-smoking (I love to tell that one).





You can%26#39;t do anything about it. I accept it as part of the ambience that is Paris.




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Smoking is almost impossible to avoid in cafés and bars and most restaurants, but the non-smoking movement is underway, evidenced by several totally non-smoking places such as Le Florimond, Le P%26#39;tit Toquet, Atelier de Joel Robuchon, La Cerisaie, Mon Vieil Ami, and Epi Dupin, and the list is growing.

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