Terrace tango: The two sides of a public smoking ban

The weather is getting warmer. The terraces of the city’s cafes are starting to fill up. The smoker versus non-smoker tango is about to begin.

Outdoor heating lamps and protective barriers are being put away until the next chill, but what remains out on the sidewalks are the smokers, now enjoying the flip side of a public smoking ban that began two years ago and eventually extended to bars, discos, restaurants and cafes.

In winter, smokers dining out have to bundle up and venture outdoors to satisfy each nicotine craving. And those who can’t be bothered eat their meals or take their drinks outside, huddled beneath heating lamps.

But once the weather changes, the rules of this strange game of musical chairs do, too. Non-smokers who once enjoyed the warmth of being indoors for a meal or drink during the winter are now stuck sweating it out inside as the smokers populate the sunniest spots on the terrace, sipping a glass of wine while working on their tan.

Air-conditioning is virtually non-existent, even in the summer.  Non-smokers too bothered by the heat and stuffiness indoors have a choice, too: to join the smoking masses on the terraces.

With the recent change in temperature, it’s the non-smokers’ time to sulk until it’s their turn again to have a last laugh — for a season at least.

 

http://www.globalpost.com/notebook/france/090316/terrace-tango-the-two-sides-public-smoking-ban