The smoking ban in The Netherlands

A real war

Owners of businesses in the catering industry are facing a difficult choice: leave the ashtrays and have customers come back but and risk a fine or remove the ashtray, declining sales, but get no fines. On the first sight the controls seem to be very strict, though many pub owners noticed that if they put the ashtrays back the income will grow. Some shops put a box in the bar with a message beside it: 'Dump some money for the fines'. They'll pay it altogether.


By GERBEN SOLLEVELD
from Wageningen, The NETHERLANDS


It is somewhere in The Netherlands, a normal pub. Recently, there have been less visitors. Before July 1st, 2008 it was completely different: at the busiest moments no more people could come in. It was fun, a nice atmosphere was hanging in the bar, an atmosphere you couldn't feel anywhere else. At this moment, December 2008, the number of visitors has quite decreased. Watching the pub on the other side of the street, crowded to the brim, now it is there that is fun, it is comfortable. Since the first of July 2008 the Minister of Health Ab Klink introduced a smoke ban. Some pubs toe the line, some do not and after a period without the ashtray, it is back in businesses and bars and the owners accept the fines.

Workplace without smoking

On 1st January 2004 the right for a smoke free workplace has been introduced in the Netherlands. During the last years the smoke ban has been established on many places. Inside the offices and government buildings for public use or the smoke ban has been introduced. Also on Dutch train stations it is only allowed to smoke within tree meters of the smoking zones. Anywhere else it is prohibited.

On the 1st July this year the Ministry of Health also introduces a ban of smoke in the catering industry. Neither in cafes, pubs, bars nor in discotheques, are people allowed to smoke. Owners have to remove the ashtrays from the tables and the one who doesn't toe the line risks getting a fine. Minister Klink sent controllers to check the bars and pubs.

The ashtray being removed

It didn't take that much time for some pubs to remove the ashtray from its place on the table. The sales declined, steady customers remained at home, the nice atmosphere that existed before wasn't there any longer. If you smoke you had to smoke outside in the cold. The feeling of being together, at the same place, the same time, in the same pub wasn't present anymore.

A serious war has broken out. Owners in the catering industry are facing a difficult choice: leave the ashtrays and have customers come back but and risk a fine or remove the ashtray, declining sales, but get no fines. On the first sight the controls seem to be very strict, though many pub owners noticed that if they put the ashtrays back the income will grow. Some shops put a box in the bar with a message beside it: 'Dump some money for the fines'. They'll pay it altogether. And at the moment, middle of November, many more pubs and cafes are having the ashtray removed.

Smoke ban is a chaos

A branch organisation "Koninklijke Horeca" Nederland (KHN, the Dutch catering organisation) ask Mr. Klink, the Minister, to clarify allowing the smoke. When more pubs allow smoking on their premises the result will be unfair competition. KHN concludes that something went wrong during the introduction period of this ban. More strict measures announced by Mr. Klink are being ignored: the catering industry declares a war. On the 22nd of November owners of catering businesses organized a 'rookkroegentocht', a smoking pub trip and an event. In the south of The Netherlands, in Tilburg, it has come so far that the owners of cafes photograph the controllers with the aim that everybody knows who the bad guys in the pub are. This results in many questions about privacy raised by the opposition and the government.

Decision

The government decided that ignoring the smoke ban is an economic misdemeanour. The owners risk getting a fine or, in some cases, their shop could be completely closed. It's a big question whether the owners are conforming or not. At this moment, The Netherlands has its own war: a war between the catering industry and the Minister of Health Ab Klink. We are impatiently awaiting the next battle.


Related articles: WAVE No. 22: Smoking regulation in Germany


(Published: 10.12.2008.)