France rejects smoking bans....

[Raoul in Colorado]

On November 3rd, France broke ranks and rejected a law that would ban smoking nationwide. As per Agence France-Presse:

Smoking Ban Fails In Parliament. A ban on smoking in public places across France, including bars, restaurants and workplaces, died when it failed to win support from President Jacques Chirac's Union for a Popular Movement. A law against smoking in public places was opposed both by tobacconists and by the country's main catering federation. The party's leader in Parliament, Bernard Accoyer, said "it's not by brutal bans" that such behavior would change. So far in the European Union, only Ireland, Italy, Norway and Malta [and soon to be Scotland] have such wide-ranging bans. In France, where an estimated one-third of people smoke, smoking is prohibited on most forms of public transportation and in offices.

.....for once the French did something right...., putting "freedom loving" Americans to shame....

[cigar no baka]

Bully for the French!! Now if only our politicians would have the guts to stand up to the nanny-staters and tell them to STOP FORCING AMERICANS TO STOP DOING WHAT THEY LIKE, AND STOP FORCING BUSINESSES TO DO AS THEY LIKE, THIS IS NOT A FASCIST STATE!!! Rant OFF!!

[steve12553]

I don't know if they're ahead of us. I've not heard of a nation-wide smoking ban put before Congress. I should hope we still are aware of what happened while a nation-wide "Prohibition" was enacted in the 1930's. Al Capone never had it so good.

[Lumpold]

The French? Ban smoking? You know it's LAW in france that you have to package cigarettes in multiples of 5 no smaller than 20? And if they banned smoking in public, those riots currently lighting up the Paris sky would be nationwide as an angry nation got nicotine starved and drunk and had 'a bit of a rumble down the town square'. A quiet Sunday afternoon Cafe au lait and Croque Monsieur would end in a massacre of the innocents in quiet Provencal towns. More over, the president would get twitchy, and he might hit the big red nuke button. Then we'd all be buggered.

[The Prince]

Good for the French. It's about time they did something good.

[RPB67]

Bravo !

[Jeff]

Good for the French. Hopefully this will help stem the tide.

[carbonbased_al]

Wow, France did something right for once. I'm almost impressed.

[par]

cool. Now if we only could get them to bathe regularly.... J/K!

[mosesbotbol]

Vive la Republique, vive la France!!!

[D. Generate]

But there is still the ban on deodorants and razors?

I keed, I keed.

[Franksmith]

Wow!........... there might be hope for france


























[size=7]NAH!!!!!!!![/size]

[LT Rich]

Now they have taken their freedoms to the extream, they have started smoking cars in the streets nation-wide!

LT

[c2000]

Originally Posted by The Prince

Good for the French. It's about time they did something good.

I'm sure that the anti-smoking zealots are saying "leave it to the French to screw up our agenda.""

Jerry in Minnesota.