Do you think smoking should be permitted in places such as night clubs and restaurants and why?

Yes, I do think smoking should be permitted in places like nightclubs and restaurants because quite honestly, if there were a ban on smoking in such places, it would be a great inconvenience to me. More importantly, it would be an inconvenience to a large number of people. As things stand, both smokers and non-smokers go to nightclubs, and I don’t think I have ever heard anyone complain about passive smoking. Yes, I do believe it would be fair to have separate sections in restaurants because ultimately you may be ruining someone’s dinner and enjoyment by smoking next to them, but as regards nightclubs and bars, the suggestion is just plain silly. Think about it, if I had to spend half-an-hour going out of and back into one of the more popular nightclubs, and let’s face it, this would the case, I would not bother. And I think I can say the same for most smokers. Thus you have just emptied the venue by more than half. By doing this, you have made the place not so popular. Do you think non-smokers would prefer to go to a nightspot just because no one is smoking? And more importantly, would you rather have people on the streets smoking contentedly and drinking out of a paper bag? I think it should be up to the owner of the club to decide whether or not his or her property should be non-smoking and whatever their choice, it should be heavily advertised for everyone to see.

Have you seen a slight change in mentality with the introduction of the no smoking in public places law ? (offices etc)

I can’t say that I have. Most large organisations already had cordoned off sections for smokers taking their break and most respectable businesses have been non-smoking for years. It is unheard of to smoke in shops and no one does. Some companies, Eden Century’s cinemas for example, are sympathetic to both smokers and non-smokers, and as far as I know, everyone abides by the rules. One phrase comes to mind, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”

How does it make you feel (as a smoker) when people try to pass a law banning you from smoking in certain areas?

It’s kind of like they are saying, “It’s ok to break the law, but not in public please.” You cannot ban cigarettes without making them illegal. I’m not saying cigarettes should be illegal, God forbid, but by banning smoking from nightclubs etc, you are virtually branding us as wrong-doers. So what does that say about the government which makes a profit of exactly 90 cents and five mils off every pack of “wrong” that we smoke. Yes, ban advertising for cigarette companies in sport, yes, heavily advertise the fact that smoking is bad for us. You won’t stop me by doing so, but it might have a different effect on other people. But by making smoking in places such as bars and clubs illegal, absolutely nothing will be achieved. I say it’s a political mistake and a non-profitable one at that.

Do you agree with the Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises’ suggestion about partitioned sections in restaurants for smokers and non-smokers, and why?

Yes I do agree. As I stated earlier, the whole idea of getting out of the house is to have fun and enjoy yourself. If I were to go to a restaurant which forbade me from smoking in any area of the premises, I would not enjoy myself. The same can be said, on the flip-side, for a non-smoker, who by chance was seated next to a table of smokers. I do generally agree with most of the smoking/non-smoking laws, and this is no exception. By closing off areas, you are displeasing no one. What I don’t agree with is the banning of smoking in other places of enjoyment because by doing so, you are taking away some of the enjoyment. Here’s an idea: Why not get nightclubs to have partitioned sections for non-smokers. I’ll bet a pack of fags that you would have the people enjoying themselves on one side, smokers and non-smokers, and prudes on the other.

Do you think smokers show enough respect to non-smokers ?

Well, I can only speak for myself on this one. I believe that I do show enough respect to non-smokers. I do not smoke in areas that are non-smoking. I will not smoke at the table if anyone is eating and when everyone is done I always ask if it will bother anyone before lighting a cigarette. I will not smoke next to someone if I know it will bother. I think for the most part this is true for smokers in general in Malta.

Do you think that the Maltese are over tolerant about smoking ?

I think Malta is widely regarded as a smoking country, and when more than half the population are smokers, tolerance is not even an issue, is it? Steps have been taken to reduce smoking such as the advertising of the hazards of smoking for our health. On the other hand, companies still advertise their cigarette brands... so back to square one. Ultimately, a smoker will quit for one of two reasons, either personal or medical. Are non-smokers tolerant of smokers? Yes, because the steps taken to date on behalf of the non-smoker are sufficient enough.

You have travelled. Do you see a difference in mentalities abroad ?

Well, this all depends on where you go. I have been to places where it is near impossible to even find a place where you can quietly smoke a cigarette and quite honestly I find it ridiculous. But then again, I am a smoker and find this somewhat stupid because I live in an environment where this has not been introduced yet. But why introduce such an unpopular idea? If the majority of the public were non-smokers, this ban would have been introduced years ago and no one would have thought anything of it. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think the majority should rule, I think it should be an option.

Do you think smokers are inconsiderate to others in the way that they force people to passive smoke ?

I don’t think smokers force people to passive smoke at all. Smokers smoke in smoking areas. I don’t see people smoking in shops, offices or any other non-smoking areas. I do consider, however, a nightclub to be a smoking area unless otherwise stated. Therefore, I do not think I am forcing a person to passive smoke should he or she be next to me in such a venue. I do think though, that by putting a ban such as this one into law, that you will be forcing me to leave.

What do you think would be an ideal situation that would be fair for both smokers and non smokers ?

I think the rules and regulations set up so far by various governments have benefited the whole population by having smoking and non-smoking areas. The partitioning of smoking areas in restaurants is yet another good idea. And giving clubs and bars the option of being a smoking or non-smoking venue would be the best of all. By doing so, non-smokers cannot complain about passive smoke or for that matter smokers complain about where to smoke.

Do you think smokers should have the right to be able to smoke where and when they want ?

No, I do not think smokers should be able to smoke wherever and whenever they want because, seeing the number of smokers and knowing the Maltese way, we would. It would not be fair on non-smokers if we were to smoke anywhere we liked, because then we would be forcing people to passive smoke. I do think however, that smokers should be allowed to smoke in their own home. Is it not their property? And is a club or a bar not the owner’s property?

Do you think smoking should be permitted in places such as night clubs and restaurants, and in a nutshell why?

As a non-smoker the answer is simple: NO. I could go on for hours about the harm and inconvenience caused to others by cigarettes and smoking, however, I think the real issue here is different. When the authorities come down with an iron fist to prohibit smoking in public places, they still don’t defeat the root of the problem which is the smoker’s basic need for a cigarette.

Defeating this addiction can only be done by educating people, especially from a young age, about the harm and inconvenience caused by smoking. However, it seems that current information campaigns in schools and by health authorities are not driving the point to the masses about the serious danger caused by the simple act of smoking.

Have you seen a slight change in mentality with the introduction of the no smoking in public places law?

No change at all. The law is not being taken seriously enough by the public who have kept up the trend of smoking anywhere, anytime. Of course, there are a number of smokers who, as a sign of respect to non-smokers, move out of a room to smoke, but in all reality this was common practice even before the law! Essentially, smokers still have the need for cigarettes and they are still causing people to inhale the toxic smoke which causes so much harm. People are not seeing the law as a measure to improve their health, they basically see this law as a nuisance which forces them to take a longer walk to satisfy their need to smoke.

How does it make you feel (as a non smoker) to have to put up with people smoking around you?

Like many non-smokers, I am used to people smoking around me. Of course I dislike the smell of the smoke-filled air, especially in clubs and bars, but by time one learns to tolerate this evil.

The fact that my health is being affected through other people’s actions has often crossed my mind, however, can you imagine yourself going up to each and every smoker around you asking him/her to stop smoking? Besides being laughed at, one runs the risk of getting into trouble if the smoker is also drunk!

Do you agree with the Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises’’ suggestion about partitioned sections in restaurants for smokers and non smokers, and why?

This idea would surely be a step forward since people would have the option of choosing the environment that best suits their needs. This would obviously require significant capital investment by the owners of the establishments. On the other hand, an alternative may be allowing establishments to declare their premises as “100 per cent” smoke-allowed or “100 per cent” smoke-free places. This puts customers in a position to exercise their right to choose whether they are willing to enter the establishment depending on the smoking policy of the place (if this issue plays such a significant part in the decision making process of entering a public place!)

Do you think smokers show enough respect for non-smokers?

I don’t think that respect is an issue in this discussion. I would focus greater attention on the words lack of information and nonchalance. First of all we need to keep in mind that most people who smoke, do so out of habit, and not to spite the other half of the world that doesn’t smoke. On the other hand, since smoking has a direct effect on the health of the people who choose not to smoke, the most “respectable” thing for smokers to do is to stop smoking. Evidently the effects of smoking are considered too trivial by the public at large and nobody is really bothered by the inconvenience caused to others as long as their own needs are satisfied.

Is tolerance for smokers very ingrained in the Maltese way of life?

Sometimes I think that it is tolerance for non-smokers that is diminishing! There are so many smokers in our society that I take it for granted to find smokers polluting the air in any club or bar I enter. I never bother asking people to put out their cigarettes when we are in a group since there is always a crowd of people around who would be smoking anyway. It is almost as if smokers are doing us a favour when they refrain from indulging in their puffing pleasure!

You have travelled. Do you see a difference in mentality abroad?

I have been to countries which have worse problems than we do when it comes to awareness of the problems generated by smoking. Steps to protect non-smokers are still not strict in the countries I visited. However, one can note that the problem is being tackled in an organised manner. For example I have come across a number of “smoke-free” establishments which provided “smoking zones” where smokers can go and satisfy their desire for a smoke. Even though the regulations are still not tight, the authorities are setting up the infrastructure first and enforcing the law at a later stage.

Do you think that the dangers of smoking and passive smoking are highlighted enough?

No, I think that the medium of communication used to spread this information is ineffective. Information about the subject is always available, however, the drive to market the idea that smoke is bad for your health is simply not working. I believe that the number of smokers has multiplied at an alarming rate over the past few years and the younger generation actually consider smoking as some sort of rite de passage into adolescence. One major problem facing this challenge is the huge amount of advertising and promotion that has been carried out by cigarette manufacturers up to this date.

What do you think would be an ideal situation that would be fair for both smokers and non smokers?

We should all go around in space suites like astronauts and breathe our own air in peace. Actually we could have flavoured oxygen placed in our tanks so that people could find alternatives to their habits (sic). What can be done to curb smoking after tens and tens of years of advertising and of fostering a smoke culture? Controlling this issue will take an equal number of years and a strong publicity drive – maybe showing our population that spending Lm547.50 per year (Lm1.50 x 365 days) on a nice holiday could give more pleasure than smoking.

Do you think smokers should have the right to be able to smoke where and when they want?

This is a free world. Everybody has the right to purchase any product he pleases and consume it in the doses he wishes. The consequences of such consumption often affect surrounding people negatively.

Take pollution emitted by cars for example, the garbage created by ice-cream wrappers on our beaches in summer or the smoke produced by the power stations that provide us with electricity for common every-day use. We cannot think in terms of slashing down the number of smokers. I believe that people need to be educated in a serious manner about their choices as consumers and about the consequences of their actions.