Dr. Geoff Fong, ITC Project and Lies Van Gennip, Director - STIVORO

In countries like Ireland and France this was clearly communicated in campaigns before the ban was enforced.The article was based on findings by the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project (ITC Project) which revealed that six months after the introduction of the smoking ban in the hospitality sector, 3% of smokers in Ireland and France, 34% of smokers in the Netherlands and 44% of smokers in Germany still occasionally smoked in cafés.Smoking bans are introduced to protect people against the harmful effects of tobacco smoke. In countries like Ireland and France this was clearly communicated in campaigns before the ban was enforced.

Recommendations from the World Health Organisation
In 2007, the World Health Organisation published four recommendations on implementing a smoking ban: 1) no smoking areas; 2) no exceptions; 3) strict enforcement; 4) use campaigns to explain why the smoking ban is being implemented. The Netherlands failed to comply with these recommendations, which means that the hospitality sector's guests and employees were not properly protected from the harmful effects of passive smoking.

Ireland and France are much stricter in enforcing anti-smoking regulations in the hospitality sector. These countries also see greater sympathy from smokers for the implementation of the smoking ban, which leads to greater compliance with the measures enforced. According to Gera Nagelhout, a PhD candidate working on the ITC Project, 'a clear campaign that explains the harmful effects of passive smoking and the need for a smoke-free hospitality sector could have prevented many problems. Instead, the Postbus 51 commercial showed a man dressed as a cigarette being kicked out of a café.'

Maastrich University News Release, April 27, 2011: 
http://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/web/Main/Sitewide/PressRelease/GovernmentShouldHaveExplainedNeedForSmokefreeCateringIndustry.htm

Television Interview with Geoff Fong and Lies Van Gennip, Sunday June 12, 2011:
http://www.rtl.nl/xl/#/u/700a505e-45d0-4bb4-b706-dcec50d28236/