Personally I hate smoking. I can’t stand going to a pub and returning home with sore eyes and clothes that stink. I was quite disappointed that 1 month before the smoking ban became effective in the UK I moved to Poland (and backwards in time) where it often appears that everybody smokes.
To be honest the fact that Polish bars are incredibly smokey doesn’t affect me too much nowadays because quite simply I frequent them very rarely.
Regarding eating establishments I have noticed that a lot of restaurants have got their own ‘no smoking’ rules in place anyway, particularly those that have been refurbished or used for weddings, so at least I can eat a meal without having the disgusting smell of somebody’s cigarettes forced upon me.
Smoking Ban in Poland
But as a forward moving EU country it was just a matter of time before Poland decided to ban smoking like much of Europe has done or is in the process of doing. I am pleased to see that this is now gathering pace. This week there has been a lot of talk in the news about a new act of parliament (link here) that has been put forward to ban smoking in work places, pubs and restaurants. I just wonder how long it will take to become law and how strictly it will be enforced.
Passive Smoking
Another related news item is Poland’s first legal case regarding damages for passive smoking. 72 year old Hanna Niewiadomska from Gdańsk is suing her former employer Skanska S.A for damages because she has lung cancer (link here). Personally I am surprised that it has taken until 2009 for such a case to appear. I hope she wins and this causes Polish employers to realise that in this day and age smoking has no place in the workplace.
