Full smoking ban in Public places comes into force on 1st June 2012

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Actually Willowsend...what it says is ..."
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Bulgaria's lawmakers passed at first reading the amendments to the Health Care Act on April 11 that would ban all smoking in indoor public spaces starting June 1."
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First Reading........you gloat to early my friend ......but I spect in the finale outcome you will be a happy bunny .....

Apart from a few eating places that we frequent I cannot really say that Bulgaria has made any real efforts to ban smoking in common areas. In fact I think that the new laws are having as much effect here as they have done in Greece. In one place the non smoking area is in a small area which is drafty and in winter quite cold but the smoking area is fine with better furniture etc quite cosy in fact. But it has got the glass partition in place.

In another place a Pizza type restaurant the non smoking area is in the same area where the log burning oven is located which defeats the object of the law but is also in accordance with the law as it is a separate area from the smokers.

Will they take notice well I think they will actually but only lip service.

I'll believe when I see it

I really don't see the point of all this 'no smoking' rule. For a start taxes will be lost and secondly everyone will be living longer, if you believe that everyone who smokes will die of lung cancer, which means that pensions cannot be sustained at the present limit and hospitals will be full of old folks living beyong their sell-by date. I can understand non-smokers not wanting to have smoke blown in their face in public places but surely just a separate area is sufficient. I remember seeing a room full of clouds of smoke where folks were happily puffing away regardless of their health in Athens airport. Its personal choice and we will all die of something. People seem to think they are immortal nowadays or will just go to sleep one day and not wake up!
Lets ban chocolate eating, ready meals, alcohol and everything else deemed a health hazard. I feel for any business in the hospitality trade who will lose business and maybe have to close.

Smoking is a thing of the past bit like video tape and ceefax , i was surprised that so many young people smoked in Bulgaria . Bit like England in the 1960 . People that practice this in public have no regard for non smokers . A ban will come to Bulgaria sooner or latter i hope sooner , cancer is not a nice way to die and smoking passive or otherwise only cuts your odds of a long life .

johnbaz wrote:

Smoking is a thing of the past bit like video tape and ceefax , i was surprised that so many young people smoked in Bulgaria . Bit like England in the 1960 . People that practice this in public have no regard for non smokers . A ban will come to Bulgaria sooner or latter i hope sooner , cancer is not a nice way to die and smoking passive or otherwise only cuts your odds of a long life .

i'm not going to discuss the merits (or otherwise) of banning smoking. What I will do is offer a wager, the princely sum of 1lv, that this is just ignored (again) by the public and the government then comes up with another ridiculous excuse for not enforcing it.

Oldun say's, Quote:- Lets ban chocolate eating, ready meals, alcohol and everything else deemed a health hazard.

Oldun I think your contribution to this forum is second to none and I fully agree with almost everything you post, but on this occasion I can't agree with your comment above. I don't have to share the above with anybody else it's my choice if I want to indulge, but if I am in a eating house, bar etc and every body is smoking I have no option, I have to share their smoke or leave

A classic example, I was in a Dobrich Restaurant with a friend, there was a table with twelve people on it and one table with three people on it. When they felt like smoking during their meal they just lit up. At one time eleven people were smoking whilst my friend and I were still eating our main course. We said to the waiter why are they all smoking we thought it was banned, he replied, No problem they are all friends of the owner

I have no objections to anybody enjoying a smoke as long as I don't have to share it. I think that is fair enough isn't it. My son smokes but not in our house. he respects our wishes and house rules

I didn't mean or imply that smoking should be allowed regardless. I am a non-smoker and would be just as annoyed as you Willowsend in those circumstances. I meant to say that surely its enough to have a large smoking area with sufficient space between the non-smoking area. There is a bar in VT that has extended the premises outside with a plastic surround which can be lifted when its warm enough and folks can happily smoke there outside. Its the total banning of smoking everywhere that I am against. Apparently even in your own car or home. I have read and understand all the arguments but I still maintain that its personal choice even if it means shortening a life span. Not everyone wants to live to 100. My mother and grandfather always smoked but both lived into their 90s so to assume every smoker will die young is not a valid argument. Neither died of lung cancer but just natural old age.
As for Bulgaria obeying the law - I too, doubt it. Bulgarians, like many Eastern Europeans, smoke a lot. Its not good for them and some are uncaring of others but so is a lot of human nature and making such stiff laws are not the way forward. Non-smoking areas in bars or hotel rooms is a good idea and I applaud that but I do not applaud all the nannying that is going on about personal health. As for catering businesses - it will affect their business and it won't come back as was stated. Sorry we will have to agree to disagree on this one. I hate it when a committed smoker comes to our house and asks if he can smoke as if they are a criminal. Of course they can and I always have an ashtray handy. Anyone who asks is being polite.

oldun wrote:

I didn't mean or imply that smoking should be allowed regardless. I am a non-smoker and would be just as annoyed as you Willowsend in those circumstances. I meant to say that surely its enough to have a large smoking area with sufficient space between the non-smoking area. There is a bar in VT that has extended the premises outside with a plastic surround which can be lifted when its warm enough and folks can happily smoke there outside. Its the total banning of smoking everywhere that I am against. Apparently even in your own car or home. I have read and understand all the arguments but I still maintain that its personal choice even if it means shortening a life span. Not everyone wants to live to 100. My mother and grandfather always smoked but both lived into their 90s so to assume every smoker will die young is not a valid argument. Neither died of lung cancer but just natural old age.
As for Bulgaria obeying the law - I too, doubt it. Bulgarians, like many Eastern Europeans, smoke a lot. Its not good for them and some are uncaring of others but so is a lot of human nature and making such stiff laws are not the way forward. Non-smoking areas in bars or hotel rooms is a good idea and I applaud that but I do not applaud all the nannying that is going on about personal health. As for catering businesses - it will affect their business and it won't come back as was stated. Sorry we will have to agree to disagree on this one. I hate it when a committed smoker comes to our house and asks if he can smoke as if they are a criminal. Of course they can and I always have an ashtray handy. Anyone who asks is being polite.

Again this is a debate where there will be differences in opinion. In this case I must agree with the banning of smoking whilst driving. Especially if children are in the car or vehicle . Being an ex smoker (Over 60 a day) I know what happens when you smoke whilst driving. You cannot light a cigarette and have total concentration. When smoke gets in your eyes you cannot concentrate on the road.

Now my friend Willowsend has said that he objected to people lighting up whilst he was eating, I do agree with his sentiments on this but 1) You can move to another seat if one is available 2) You can ask for the people to stop, if the answer is no refuse to pay the bill and gesture that you will leave. The funny thing is you would possibly get a free meal as they could only call the Police as you have not paid, but the Police would have to enforce the non smoking ban and you would then be asked to pay so win, win. But in reality this would not happen because we are British. :Cool3:Also the Police would probably light up and join the smokers

righty Oldun, are you listening to this?, a while back u were accusing me of jumping on you about your wood, so to prove you wrong, I have to say thats probably one of the better posts I have heard from a non-smoker on the subject of a ban.

Interesting oldun that you dont want to live to 100 or think that Bulgaria needs a bit of nannying . You also seem to think that smoking is good for you as your parents lived to a good old age , is any of this based on fact ?

:Good post:Everyone. This is a debate that could and has gone on forever especially reformed smokers who are now very saintly in attitude. Quite right I don't want to live to a 100. I can't afford it, I had a good life and I don't want my family to have the worry of some geriatric who hasn't a clue about the modern world. Yes, my thoughts are based on fact in as much as my mother and grandfather both smoked and died in their late 90s of unrelated illness. Having once been a heavy smoker myself there is nothing wrong with my lungs in my 70s either. I didn't say it was actually 'good for you'. I doubt any Bulgarians want or need any 'nannying' from EU Bureaucrats.
Nice answer Tonyb60. I do admit that I have sometimes found cigarette smoking in close encounters a bit annoying and your answer of dealing with it was funny and probably the way forward. Smoking while driving, like using a mobile phone can be dangerous.
Anyway, I understand that my opinion on this is probably annoying to some, but the real point is, will Bulgaria enforce this law? We have a small bar in our village which does and probably always will allow smoking inside which can be quite unpleasant but the alternative is to use the other bar and smoke outside even when its -20. You have to be a dedicated smoker to do that!

Well i for one will put smokers out with mineral water , but i think there will be a hot line you can ring . Fact is if you smoke it kills you the same as to much drink , sorry to say you are just rambling on about you parents which is all very interesting but not a fact . My mother died of lung cancer and she smoked like a chimney . Why people want to inhale smoke i have no idea ? but i dont want to join them and if you dont think that Bulgaria needs a nanny state look at the fatalities on the road the number of people that have stokes here both smoking and alcohol related and there poor record in Health and safety .