A smoke-free restaurant is a dining establishment which does not allow smoking, either voluntarily or because of a legal smoking ban. In many areas of the world, increasingly more restaurants have gone smoke-free, often out of a concern for the health of both employees and clients about exposure to secondhand smoke. It is the opposite of a smokeasy, which is a restaurant or bar that allows smoking despite a legal smoking ban.

Worldwide status

Europe used to have fewer smoking bans in restaurants than did Canada or the United States. Per capita rates of smoking are higher in Europe than in North America. Voluntarily smoke-free restaurants have been common in the U.S. since the early 1990s, and since then many states have passed laws outlawing smoking in all restaurants. Some states, such as Washington, passed their smoking bans by referendum, rather than by legislative action. In addition to statewide bans, many large U.S. cities have banned smoking in restaurants. In 2003, New York City amended its smoking ban to include all restaurants and bars, making it one of the toughest in the U.S. In 2004, the city's Department of Health found that air pollution levels had decreased sixfold in bars and restaurants after the ban went into effect, and that business was largely unaffected.

Many European countries have passed smoking bans in recent years. Ireland (2004), Italy (2005), Sweden (2005), and Norway (2004) all have smoking bans in place. The constituent countries of the UK have banned smoking in all public places (including restaurants, bars and clubs) within Scotland in March of 2006, Wales and Northern Ireland in April of 2007, and England in July of 2007; fines of up to £2500 can be imposed upon licensees violating the ban, as well as a £50 fine on the smoker. In 2003, the Parliament of New Zealand passed "Smokefree Environments Amendment Act", which banned smoking in restaurants and pubs, and also placed limits on smoking in other public places.

See also

• Indoor air quality
• List of smoking bans
• Smokeasy
• Smoking ban
• Tradable smoking pollution permits

External links

• CDC US Center for Disease Control
• Smokefree World A partial list of current USA bans on restaurant smoking, city by city

References