EDITORIAL

Time To Address Issue Of Smoking In Public Places

Tuesday, March 9, 2004

Inspired by similar restrictions in California and New York City, Ireland will soon become the first country in Europe to crack down on public smoking. From 29 March, smoking will be forbidden in all enclosed workplaces, including the country's 10,000 pubs. 

While it is not suggested that the Cayman Islands follow suit and outlaw public smoking completely, it is rather curious that the issue of smoking has yet to be properly addressed within the country.

In the case of restaurants and bars in Cayman, it is solely at the owner's discretion whether or not to have a non-smoking section. The reality is, with the exception of a few establishments, smokers can pretty much light-up when and where they like.

Of course, it is recognized that smoking is not an illegal activity and, when it comes to lighting up, it is a matter of individuals' personal choice. 

Is it really a 'smoker's right' to inflict their fumes on hospitality staff, or customers who choose to go out for a meal or a drink? This question becomes even more important when considering that a large percentage of restaurant patrons here are tourists visiting from North America, where smoking is allowed only in special sections, if it is permissible at all.

Second-hand smoke can reportedly increase the risk of heart disease by 25 to 30 percent. It increases the risk of stroke by 82 percent, and causes respiratory problems in adults and children. If that weren't bad enough, studies show that sharing someone else's smoke causes low birth weight in babies, which relates to adverse health outcomes. Essentially, second-hand smoking kills.

Hospitality owners will argue that by making some or all of their premises non-smoking they will lose customers to smoking-friendly venues. But what about the long-term profitable gains that 'non-smoking' can bring?

In Ireland, despite some huge opposition to the ban initially, tourism chiefs are turning the situation. By touting themselves as 'smoke free', they are hoping to make 2004 a record year for visitor numbers.

Starbucks, the multi-billion dollar coffee shop franchise, is laughing in the face of the critics who said their non-smoking rule would not work in die-hard smoking nations such as Italy and Japan. Citing a wish not to spoil the taste of their coffee with tobacco, the established brand of coffee shops has been lapping it up in 'smoking countries' throughout the world.

It is not just the non-smoking adults who need to be protected.

According to a survey by the National Drug Council, cigarettes are the second most popular drug amongst young people, with alcohol being the first.

Yet amazingly, to date there has been no age-restriction on buying cigarettes in the Cayman Islands. Somehow, despite the wave of smoking laws passed worldwide, as long as you have the money, you are free to buy cigarettes at any age in Cayman.

Thankfully as a result of efforts by the drug council and the cancer society, legislation is going through at the moment that will soon make it illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to buy cigarettes. 

It is time the people of the Cayman Islands stopped ignoring the smoking issue.

The hospitality industry needs to recognize that their non-smoking clientele and staff have rights, and, in the absence of legislation banning public smoking, at least have separate smoking sections in their establishments.

In today's world, non-smokers should not have to have poisonous fumes inflicted on them by an activity that is increasingly seen as taboo in public in civilised countries around the globe.

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