Paris may be burning, but she’s smoking less and less; a new law that comes into effect on 1st January 2008 means that smoking will (finally) be forbidden in all restaurants and bars…

really great photo (c) ƒreg


Here at the Hotels Paris Rive Gauche group, all our hotels have been no smoking since 2006, but if you’ve ever spent some time in a Parisian café soaking up the atmosphere, you’ll probably have realised (as the song goes) that smoke gets in your eyes… and your throat, and on your clothes, and in your hair… 😉

Finally, from 1st January 2008, France gets civilised by banning smoking in all restaurants, cafés and bars, although not everyone is happy about it, and there’s been quite a fight along the way. For example, tabac owners have held several marches to protest that they will go out of business (can you imagine asbestos manufacturers picketing for the right to give people cancer?) and the law has actually been slightly relaxed by Nicolas Sarkozy’s government; initially, covered terraces were also no smoking. Now – as long as one side is open for ventilation, people will be allowed to smoke there. This obviously means that all café terraces will be in a thick cloud of smoke from now on!

Ah well, I suppose its progress nonetheless…