Asthmatics going to Paris - how much smoking is there now?
 

There are a few older topics that have Smoking and Paris in the title, but I was looking for more current information.

I'm going to Paris in June 2014 with my mother, my daughter (age 12), and my niece (age 11). My daughter and I are very sensitive to cigarette smoke, with uncontrollable coughing that can lead to very serious asthma attacks. I'm wondering whether we'll be able to have the quintessential experience of sitting at an outdoor table. Are there non-smoking outdoor spaces at any cafes/restaurants or are they all smoking areas by default?

I know smoking inside restaurants is not allowed, but don't they open their windows during the summer? If there's smoking on the terrace and the windows are open, doesn't the smoke go right into the dining area?

Thanks so much for any response - I've been reading so many helpful posts and, particularly, trip reports that are helping me plan our activities - I really appreciate this forum.

Just to note that Paris has some of the most polluted air of any European city - just saying that if you have asthma that reacts to heavy smog as well - it gets worse on warm days.

I totally agree with PalenQ--the smoking is not the problem; the outdoor pollution is.

I have never seen an outdoor non-smoking area in Paris; again, with air pollution that is so heavy, it would not be that useful.

Yup agree with the above - all the smokers now have to sit outside so it will be tough to avoid if you want to sit at an outdoor cafe...

Quite a few establishments tested outdoor non smoking areas, but I don't know of any places that kept them in the end. But it is not too hard to find places where you can sit outside and not be bothered by smokers -- obviously not places where every table is occupied.

Here is a copy of a post on another thread from bluestar on Nov 4---
<Here is a chart comparing the air quality of cities across Europe. It's updated hourly. There are also tabs for 'Forecast' and 'Annual situation.">

http://www.airqualitynow.eu/comparing_home.php

Your observation about outside smoke coming inside is accurate. They merely have to sit "outside" even it means at a table right next to you but across an open window or a door.

I think you have to seize the moments as they come and not rely on any one rule.

The chronic smokers are all outside now - puffing away during their meal or afternoon coffee. We no longer dine outside. Best bet if you want to dine outside, is to dine very early - around 7 PM before the majority of smokers get there. If you go to places frequented by Americans, you'll find fewer smokers. If you find a cafe that does not have many people outside - seize the opportunity and have a coffee. Don't go near any school when the students take their breaks.

Stu Dudley

Furthermore:

Often in cold weather, the cafes will "wrap" their outside dining space in plastic. Is the space inside our outside??? The Government ruled in favor of the smokers.

Stu Dudley

IME with French enforcement of the ban on smoking it that it is pretty good... but I still see train-station conductors at Austerlitz sneaking cigarette smoking right at the entrance to the platforms - I had to walk by - well they weren't really sneaking that much - the platforms are kind of outdoors but inside the station but all French railway platforms are non-smoking.

Thank you so much for your replies. I appreciate the information. It won't change our trip - Grandma wanted to take her little granddaughters to Paris before they're 13 - but I'll be more aware of our meal options.

And I'll bring lots of meds!

I returned from Paris Monday night after spending a week there. I also have breathing issues and honestly didn't really have any problems at all. The most places I saw people smoking were outside buildings - I guess their offices were inside, and store employees outside their stores. I felt fine the whole time and never even had to use my emergency inhaler. So don't worry too much and enjoy your trip!

To my knowledge, this is the most recent ruling on smoking in enclosed terrace cafés:

http://www.thelocal.fr/20130617/fran...-cafe-terraces

There is a positive in all this - looking for the silver lining! We live in Australia and smoking here is relatively unpopular nowadays and relatively highly controlled. I was recently in France with my 14 year old daughter who was totally disgusted by all the smokers, especially the students, and the experience probably discouraged her from taking up the habit herself (if she needed any extra encouragement).

Mara - that's a relief to hear!
Cathinjoetown - thanks for the update - I imagine most of the enclosed terraces will be unzipped when we are there in June.
dreamon - the thought had occurred to me, though my daughter and niece (esp. daughter, due to breathing issues) are already disgusted with the odor and particulates of cigarette smoke :-)

The law here in Washington state sets a non-smoking perimeter of 25 (50? some fairly large-ish number) feet from the entrance to a business. It's been that way for a number of years, so I have to admit I haven't had to deal with it much. I'm spoiled here!

I am asthmatic too and didn't have problems in Paris last year. And, we ate at outside tables often.

Just returned three weeks ago. We are not asthmatic but we had a difficult time adjusting to all the smokers. Just walking along a sidewalk, I found my self trying to hold my breath each time I passed smokers hanging around the entrances of buildings and cafes.

Our clothes quickly took on the aroma of cigarette smoke and was noticeable when we returned to our room at night.

we returned a couple of weeks ago and yes compared to years gone by at least you are reasonable protected inside. The French keep outdoor cafes going well into the really cold weather and I don't think you can avoid some smoke outside. Most cafes on on a sidewalk with people walking by...many smoking and yes the tables by the window...are inside but if any windows/doors open you might as well be outside. Hotels are a mixed bag but we had no issues inside the hotel but I do believe they could smoke in the rooms. It is pretty much like NYC and frankly walking crowded streets can be challenging if you hate the smell of smoke. We managed and Paris is still great to visit and at least you know what to expect.

My asthmatic daughter was in Paris last April and didn't mention cigarette smoke as being a problem for her. Unfortunately, I think if you get your knickers in a twist every time you encounter a smoker then you probably will have a miserable time. As you've mentioned, take plenty of medication with you and be prepared to use it. I hope you have a lovely holiday despite this one issue.

I don't think you'll ever find yourself trapped in a smoky atmosphere with no available escape route but you may get odd whiff of smoke on the street whilst walking past a group of smokers and as others have said if you sit at a terrace cafe you could find other people's smoke drifting over to you.

I really have not noticed that many smokers gathering around buildings and on sidewalks that your clothes would smell smoky just from walking around in Paris. And some are in the outdoor spots, of course, but even there, it seems the majority aren't smoking. I think I read stats that the smoking rate in France isn't that different from the US. HEre is World Bank data, for female adults, it is 27 for France vs. 25 in the US. (pct of adults who smoke)

http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.PRV.SMOK.FE

for males, it is a little bit higher in France vs US, 36 vs 33 http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.PRV.SMOK.MA

I think I read stats that the smoking rate in France isn't that different from the US.>

maybe not for adults but for teens it must be much much higher - all my French sons and he smoked from an early age - in a recent return to France he said he saw young folk smoking everywhere - at lycee he said teachers would even share cigarettes with students - outside the school door. It is still a much much more smoking scene from what I know but maybe the youngsters quit early on - but for school kids smoking is way more than here I'd gather.

>> I think I read stats that the smoking rate in France isn't that different from the US.<<

I don't know where you live, but you rarely see people smoking where I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. I think the rate is lower than 10%. Maybe you see them smoking in Kentucky. My dad was raised in Kentucky (about a 7th generation Kentuckian) and he smoked like crazy. I think they taught smoking in his grammar school. He died of Lung Cancer.

Stu Dudley

http://www.ibtimes.com/ne-fumez-pas-...moking-1308287

Well this article says smoking in France is still really high - even though strict government measures like now nearly $10 a pack - something you think would deter youth smoking but does not seem to - if so it would only push them into cheaper hash (which however in France must be smoked in a spliff loaded with tobacco!)

Despite these bans and public education on the risks of tobacco, more 14 million Frenchmen smoke in a country of some 66 million.>

that 66 million includes babies, kids, etc so the 25% figure has to be parsed to get a real idea of the smoking rates of adults which I would bet all my old French francs on is much higher than in the U.s. - especially with younger folk.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/he...-daily-smokers

this chart of the prevalence of smokers in each country gives France 27% and the U S 17.5 % - substantial difference but France is on the low end of Europe - tops is Austria 36% followed by Greece, the Netherlands 32%.