Antisocial: people who smoke on the terrace
Yuck, you’ve just settled down to enjoy your sea bass with caper butter when someone next to you on the terrace lights up a cigarette. That filthy cloud of smoke ruins the delicious smell of your dish. Isn’t it time we made terraces smoke-free? I’m all for it!
A quick disclaimer. I’m no moralist, and I’m very much in favor of individual freedom and self-determination. I’d even go so far as to say: the less (government) interference, the better. Until people light a cigarette—or even worse: a cigar—while I’m sitting there eating. Apart from passive smoking, I mainly find it downright disgusting. It ruins my meal. And yes, this applies to vaping too. Because a Vitello Tonnato that suddenly smells like coconut? Yuck!
Smoking on the terrace: antisocial
I used to smoke too. Best of all: with a glass of wine. In a pub. So I know how enjoyable it can be. And although I’m glad I haven’t smoked for years, people who do smoke should be free to do so. You do you. But not on a crowded terrace. Not near (small) children and food. Because that is—humble opinion—simply antisocial.
In favor of smoke-free terraces
And as is often the case with opinions: I’m not the only one who thinks this. A representative study by Erasmus MC among 5,582 Dutch people shows that support for more smoke-free zones is growing. Research shows that two-thirds of Dutch people want ashtrays banned from terraces and that 80 percent of Dutch people want terraces to be smoke-free when children are present.
Koninklijke Horeca Nederland (KHN) reported that more and more hospitality businesses are opting for smoke-free terraces. However, the industry association remains opposed to a legal smoking ban, because businesses should be able to decide for themselves whether to ban smoking on their terraces. Naturally, some hospitality businesses fear lost revenue and negative reactions if they make their terraces smoke-free.
Smoke-free = welcoming
But will they really attract fewer guests as a result? Probably not. Strandpaviljoen de Branding on Terschelling introduced a smoke-free terrace as early as 2013. Owner Guus van Dieren told hospitality trade magazine Misset Horeca that his guests initially found it strange. But the policy was quickly accepted. “I made an ashtray on the beach out of an old buoy, and everyone happily smokes there,” Van Dieren said.
Gasterij Zondag in Garderen has also been smoke-free since last year. Having to move people on the terrace because they were bothered by cigarette smoke prompted the family business to ban smoking. People who still want to smoke can do so in the car park. Less sociable? Certainly. But also less antisocial toward the other guests.
Smoke-free terraces
Don’t want to risk sitting on a terrace full of chain-smokers? Rookvrije Generatie has now registered 125 smoke-free terraces. All McDonald’s terraces are also smoke-free. What do you think: should smoking on terraces be banned? We’re very curious to hear your opinion.
Also read:
- Being called extremely fat on a terrace: there’s a lot of suffering
- English increasingly becoming the main language on Dutch terraces: problematic
- Man challenges his dismissal for not being sociable and wins court case against employer
Source: Misset Horeca
