Pubs and bars ignore non-smoker protection

Ignore pubs and bars Non-smoker protection: smoking continues in four out of five restaurants

04/05/2011

The smoking ban in the restaurant is not complied with in the majority of pubs and bars. This is the result of a study by the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg.

In about 80 percent of the beverage-embossed restaurants are still smoked, reports the German Cancer Research Center. In a comprehensive study, Dr. Martina Pötschke-Langer and Ute Mons and the DKFZ adhere to the non-smoker protection laws in nearly 3,000 restaurants in the state capitals Düsseldorf, Hanover, Kiel, Mainz, Magdeburg, Schwerin, Stuttgart, Wiesbaden; Berlin and Munich examined. The result: four out of five pubs are still smoky today. From a choice for non-smokers can at the beverage restaurants „there is no question“, informed the DKFZ.

80 percent of the pubs are still smoke-filled
As part of the country's largest evaluation study since the introduction of state laws on non-smoker protection, the DKFZ has examined all restaurants in the inner city of the state capitals Düsseldorf, Hanover, Kiel, Mainz, Magdeburg, Schwerin, Stuttgart and Wiesbaden. In addition, two city districts with particularly high pub rates were taken into account in Berlin and Munich. Overall, the data of 2,939 catering businesses are available, reports the DKFZ. The most important result of the study: in 80 per cent of the pubs and bars is still smoked. „If you want to drink a beer in the evening, you have to look a long way in many places if you do not want to be forced into passive smoking“, so the press release of the DKFZ. The numerous exceptions with which restaurants in the individual federal states can handle a general smoking ban are so complex that serious enforcement problems occur, the researchers said. Thus, the exemptions to non-smoker protection „neither practicable nor effective“, the cancer researchers criticized.

Substantial deficits in the nonsmoker protection laws
The study on compliance with the non-smoker protection laws in the restaurants, not only made clear that there are generally considerable deficits in the implementation, but there were also marked differences between the individual provincial capitals, reports the German Cancer Research Center. For example, in terms of non-smoker protection, Düsseldorf is one of the most smoker's cigarettes and most of the breaches of the labeling obligations of smoker's pubs „the tail light“ under investigated provincial capitals. The restaurants in Munich, where since August 2010, a general ban on smoking in the catering, are, however, most likely to be rated as non-smoking friendly. But here, too, in 17 percent of the beverage restaurants smoked to this day. These make use of the only remaining exception that allows smoking to continue in closed societies.

Non-smoker protection: enforcement problems through exemptions
The German Cancer Research Center also reports serious enforcement problems in the non-smoker protection laws, as the existing exemptions are too complex and always provide loopholes. According to the DKFZ, 8 percent of the restaurants examined were in fact smoker's restaurants, which is a clear violation of the applicable state laws. Also, 13 percent of smoking cubs have several rooms, although by law only one-room bars can apply for a derogation. In addition, the situation with regard to the protection of minors should be regarded as a scandal, since 62 percent of smokers in the entrance area of ​​the reference „Access only from 18 years“ was missing, explained the DKFZ. All in all, the exemptions for non-smoker protection in most federal states have failed, according to the conclusions of the German Cancer Research Center. The cancer researchers therefore demand simple, comprehensive and nationwide uniform rules for non-smoker protection in the catering industry.

DKFZ warns of high levels of pollution caused by tobacco smoke
In view of the alarming study results, the German Cancer Research Center warns again „extremely high levels of pollutants caused by tobacco smoke in smoking restaurants and smoking rooms“. A nationwide study from 2009, in which the respirable particles were analyzed in the indoor air of restaurants with and without nonsmoker protection, resulted in a five to eleven times higher pollution levels in the smoking restaurants. For the researchers of the DKFZ an alarming result, since the measured pollution levels can also lead to adverse health effects for non-smokers. In addition, it is particularly critical that in the restaurants with smoking rooms, the pollution is not limited to the smoking area, but also in the non-smoking areas is significantly increased, since the smoke passes through the air in these areas. (Fp)

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With hypnosis for the nonsmoker