Jury Still Out On Health impact Of Public Place smoking Bans

摘要

Public place smoking bans are spreading like wildlife these days, with one country after another drawing up rules preventing tobacco use where it could expose non-smokers to second-hand smoke. In the European Union (EU) this year, public place smoking bans have been introduced in England, Estonia and Finland. Meanwhile, Scotland and Ireland, the first countries in the EU to take the action, were already smoke-free in public places, while Italy, Sweden and Malta have partial bans that allow smoking only in closed-off, separately ventilated areas. France has banned smoking in offices, hospitals, schools and shops and this year widened this to include bars and restaurants, while Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Cyprus, Slovenia and Lithuania still provide exceptions of different kinds for the hospitality sector.