Finland could fall behind other countries in restricting smoking in restaurants
Proposed amendment would allow smoking in separate room
Professor Kari Reijula of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health says that Finland may soon lag behind other countries in restricting smoking in bars and restaurants.
"Previously Finland has boasted that it is a model country, but others have pushed ahead", Reijula says.
Parliament is currently preparing legislationi which would restrict smoking in restaurants to isolated smoking rooms as of June next year. The aim would be to protect restaurant workers from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke.
When Finland first placed legal restrictions on smoking in restaurants, it was among the first countries to do so. Now many other countries have been catching up.
Bans on smoking in restaurants have been passed in Norway, Ireland, and Italy.
Britain recently also decided to ban all smoking in restaurants and pubs as of the summer of next year.
"It is a serious message of a shift in public opinion", Reijula says.
The World Health Organisation is drawing up a new international agreement on tobacco, which has been approved by Finland. According to Olli Simonen, an official at the Finnish Ministry for Social Affairs and Health, the instructions in the draft treaty lean toward a total ban on restaurant smoking. The European Commission is also preparing a statement on restaurant smoking. Of the old EU member states, Germany has staunchly opposed restrictions on smoking in restaurants, but Simonen believes that the trend in Europe is toward smoke-free restaurants.
Kari Reijula also believes that it is only a matter of time before the EU orders a complete ban on smoking in bars and restaurants.
If the WHO and the EU take a tough stand on the matter, Finland will also have to re-examine the situation.
"I would guess that in such a case, Finland would change its legislation within two to five years, and ban the smoking rooms", Simonen ponders.
The proposed legislation is under debate in the Parliamentary committee on social affairs and health. The new law is to be passed before the summer.
The committee’s chairman, Valto Koski (SDP) admits that the situation in the EU has raised questions in the committee.
The worst-case scenario for Finnish restaurant owners in Finland would be if national legislation would first allow the establishment of separate smoking rooms in restaurants, after which an EU directive would come a few years later imposing a full ban on smoking, when all of the investments in the smoking rooms had been made.
A number of details in the Finnish bill remain open. One bone of contention is whether or not customers should be allowed to bring drinks into the smoking areas. Koski says that they probably will not be allowed to do so.
Smoking restrictions in Europe are not limited to restaurants. In Scotland, truck and van drivers are not allowed to smoke while driving, even if there are no passengers on board.
Reijula does not believe that there is any need for further restrictions at work places, as long as the situation in restaurants is brought back to normal.
However, there is room for improvement in enforcement of the legislation. At one in ten work places with fewer than 50 people, non-smokers are exposed to tobacco smoke. Restaurants are not included in the figure.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 2.5.2006 - TODAY |
 Finland could fall behind other countries in restricting smoking in restaurants
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