Smoking Ban 2007

[Quillan]

Without going in to the rights and wrongs, likes and dislikes of smoking I was wondering if anyone has any information on the smoking in public places ban that comes in to effect next year in France. I am assuming for the moment that this will include Chambres D’Hôtes although smoking will be allowed in the garden or on terraces etc. Will guests technically be allowed to smoke in their bedrooms (something we personally don’t permit) but nowhere else in the house?

Will this be a total ban or will you be able, like in Spain, to apply for a licence permitting people to smoke in your Chambres D’Hôtes?

 

Finally, although this is the B&B section what about gites? I am thinking that because only a group stay in one as opposed to different couples/families at the same time that there will not be a ban on smoking in gites as technically they are not public. If this is the case will it not be an unfair advantage for those permitting smoking in their gites, by that I mean will gites be the only type of holiday accommodation smokers can stay in.

[DZ]

Funny - I was just going to post a question on the smoking ban, when I found your post!  I have read that the smoking ban will affect public places include stations, museums, government offices and shops but it will not extend to the streets or private places such as houses or hotel rooms, so B&Bs etc should be ok without a licence, Quillan.

What I wanted to know is the general attitude among the French people to this recent announcement.  Are people up in arms?

[Quillan]

Yes but what about communal areas such as lounges etc, are these classed as public areas? I think they are public areas because they are open to all your guests. One area that I am worried about is smoking in bedrooms. We don't allow this mainly because it discolours the room quicker but some people have smoked on the sly, leaning out of the window etc. We also don't allow it because although smokers ourselves we appreciate that non smokers can smell the stale smoke a mile off so to be put in a room where somebody smoked say two days before is not really on. So if the ban does include your communal areas I am worried it will 'drive' smokers to smoking in my rooms on the sly which actually creates a bigger problem (well for me anyway).

It can also cause problems if you open nearly all year like us in that as it gets colder people can't sit outside and are reluctant to go out in the evenings apart from restaurants where of course smoking will be banned.

As to what the French think I will start another thread on that in the postbag section.

[The Riff-Raff Element]

[quote user="Quillan"]

Yes but what about communal areas such as

lounges etc, are these classed as public areas? I think they are public

areas because they are open to all your guests. One area that I am

worried about is smoking in bedrooms. We don't allow this mainly

because it discolours the room quicker but some people have smoked on

the sly, leaning out of the window etc. We also don't allow it because

although smokers ourselves we appreciate that non smokers can smell the

stale smoke a mile off so to be put in a room where somebody smoked say

two days before is not really on. So if the ban does include your

communal areas I am worried it will 'drive' smokers to smoking in my

rooms on the sly which actually creates a bigger problem (well for me

anyway).

It can also cause problems if you open nearly all year like us in

that as it gets colder people can't sit outside and are reluctant to go

out in the evenings apart from restaurants where of course smoking will

be banned.

As to what the French think I will start another thread on that in the postbag section.

[/quote]

Having read the regs, it would seem that CdHs, hotels and gites will be

exempted and treated as private EXCEPT for areas where non-residents

can enjoy access. So hotel bars and restaurants will largely have to go

smoke free, but the dining areas of CdHs? It would seem these would be

exempted.

[Eslier]

As a Cd'H must hold a drinks license even for serving coffee etc. then presumably this makes, by definition, the areas where breakfasts etc. served classed as public ?

[The Riff-Raff Element]

[quote user="Eslier"]As a Cd'H must hold a drinks license even for

serving coffee etc. then presumably this makes, by definition, the

areas where breakfasts etc. served classed as public ?

[/quote]

An area is deemed as public, it would seem, if it is open to non-residents. If the dining room is available only

to those staying in the CdH (which, I believe, is one of the essential

differences from a hotel), then it is considered private and not

subject to the regulation. Hotels have areas that are open to

non-residents, as I said above, and these will be considered public.

Mind you, how many CdH's actually allow smoking in dining areas?

[Quillan]

[quote user="Jon D"][quote user="Eslier"]As a Cd'H must hold a drinks license even for serving coffee etc. then presumably this makes, by definition, the areas where breakfasts etc. served classed as public ?
[/quote]

Mind you, how many CdH's actually allow smoking in dining areas?
[/quote]

Actually we do after meals and providing all consent.

[Cerise]

I don't think you need worry too much Quillan.  our B & B is non-smoking - but we do allow smoking outside on terrace and balcony.  About half of our guests - mostly the French - are smokers but they have all been pretty considerate about it.  We have only had one person, in 3 years, who smoked in the bedroom and he was so arrogant that no ban notice or other interdiction would have made any difference.  We are open all year and occasionally when the weather has been really foul I have suggested someone had a cigarette indoors but they have all insisted on going outside anyway.

As a non-smoker I quite like the idea of smoke free - but nevertheless feel a bit uneasy about bans - what next barmen who ask how many units of alcohol we have already consumed before serving?

Maggi

[Quillan]

I must admit I too have noticed this with the French and one or two chaps have said they have to do the same at home because the wife won't let them smoke in the house.

I am not to sure about this private and public thing either and can see both sides. Logically (when have the French ever used logic its nearly always done from the heart) if you have a group consisting of people who have no links between them staying in one place using the same common areas then the law should apply. I really think its a debate than can swing either way so I would be rather interested to know for sure what the law is. To that point has anyone actually found a website (French governmental) that actually has a copy of this law or are we working on what we have read so far in the French news papers or see and heard on TV and radio.

I am also not very keen on bans of any kind with these type of issues.

[Chancer]

Will restaurants, cafes or brasseries be affected by the ban? as they already may have a non-smoking area.

At my local brasserie the non-smoking area is small and at the back without ventilation and much daylight, I was eating there the other day tucked (more like trapped) into a small corner as I was dining alone. At the table next to me, which was pushed right against mine the two guys started smoking between courses, they ignored my polite requests to stop so I moved myself to the smoking area (which had the door open to get some fresh air.

The proprietress hates having smokers but would not survive without them and will not allow her young daughter in the area during or after smokers, she told me that she was waiting until it was law so that she could enforce it.

Have her prayers been answered?

[Wendy]

Well Quillan, many of our guests (French) take absolutely no notice of the 'non fumer' signs in our rooms so I take it that the French in general will ignore this law. They use our drinking glasses for their stinky butts, and some have even shoved them down the bathroom sink plughole. Anyway, if this law is to be implemented, how about also banning their bluddy dogs from public eating areas as well?. A dog sat in a chair at a table beside us in Flunch (yes, we do resort to their food on occasion) recently and it really stank. My rule would be no butts and no mutts.

I feel better now.

[cooperlola]

Personally, I always take note of "No Smoking" bans in hotel/restaurants/bars etc and go elsewhere.  Pity if this will no longer be an option.  I can't help feeling that we need premises that are available to each (ie, if you are luck enough to have two rooms for socialising, make one smoking and one not.)  If a cafe/gite/b&b/restaurant/bar wants to ban smoking, fine, but why all of them?