Blowing smoke rings at Big Brother
… Susan Shand, an American producer for ARD, said Europeans are particularly fascinated by the Weyco case.
According to the World Health Organization, 34 percent of Germans smoke, compared with 23 percent of Americans.
It’s also nearly unheard of to get fired from a job in Europe, Shand said, “where people still smoke at their desks.”
“The whole attitude toward smoking is different,” Shand said. “So we thought this was a good example of American attitudes toward smoking.”
“The idea that an American company can fire someone in the first place is shocking,” Shand said of European reaction. “But the thought that you can fire someone for smoking is doubly shocking.”
“They are somewhat bewildered by it.”
Originally written By Thomas P. Morgan
