THE Netherlands has become the first country in Europe to overturn its smoking ban.
A new liberal government is to allow smoking, though only in small owner-run bars with no other staff.
Here one of the Dutch campaigners, from the Foundation To Save Small Bar Owners, explains why he is so pleased with the change.
WE had a blanket ban on smoking brought in here in 2008. It unfairly attacked small bar owners who couldn’t afford to build outdoor smoking areas.
And small bars, or pubs as we call them too, are a huge part of Dutch life. There are more than 3,000 of them.
So two smokers’ rights organisations decided to join forces with the bar owners.
We felt it was a bad law.
I know of many bars that never even put their ashtrays away. But now it is official and people are delighted
The latest polls say between 70 and 80 per cent of Dutch people are behind this partial lifting of the ban.
This is great news for small bars and the common man. Lower-class people tend to drink in these places and they were being punished.
Higher-standard pubs and restaurants don’t mind being smokeless. But small bars have an important social function. Public health workers tell us smoking is bad for you. Well, the ban is very bad for your social and psychological health. It is much more complex than they tell us.
I hope that the same thing happens in the UK now.
But there are big differences between our two countries. There are lots of laws in the Netherlands but they are not enforced so strictly.
The fine here was only 300 euros for a landlord’s first offence.
That is quite different from the tens of thousands of pounds you can be fined in the UK for allowing smoking.
Smoking is bad. But it is more complicated than just saying “smoking kills”. A lot of lies come from the anti-smoking lobby. They have a lot of money behind them from the pharmaceutical companies who make aids to help people quit smoking.
We don’t accept there is any damage from second-hand smoke. I celebrated the news about the ban being lifted by lighting a cigarette.
I vow I will only give up the day that the smoking ban is overturned completely.
