 The days of cigarette-friendly France are about to go up in smoke. The prime minister has announced a ban on smoking in public places like offices, schools and public buildings will start in February, while restaurants, dance clubs and some types of bars can delay applying the order until 2008. "I am convinced the French people are now ready," said Dominique de Villepin, adding France to a growing list of European nations like Ireland, Spain, Britain and Italy to adopt similar measures.
 "The issue is ripe in our country, given the experiences that we know of elsewhere." Villepin, speaking in an interview on LCI television, said the ban will be ordered 'by decree' in the next few days, a manoeuvre that allows the government to avert a potentially explosive parliamentary debate ahead of presidential and legislative elections next year. Many French treasure their right to light up in cafes, bars or restaurants, and have sought to cast the debate as one of freedoms being infringed.
| Which it is, of course. I've quit — it's been just under a month since I laid down my pipe, and I miss it every day. Contrary to the propaganda, the smell of my pipe never killed anyone, though I'll admit it made a few people gag now and then. The only person whose health was damaged was me. But being able to tell other people what to do seems to be an addiction that's even worse than nicotine, and even harder to break. |
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