smoking ban

Information on the smoking ban: http://www.krakowpost.com/article/2421

- Posted by bildungsr0man from Poland on Nov 12th, 2010

Maybe they will have to rename Cafe Dym ;-) (hope not) I have been following the news from Poland all week, in anticipation of the new law being introduced yesterday. (I am a non-smoking regular visitor, soon to be resident with a young child, who happens to enjoy relaxing and socialising in Krakow's cafes and bars) A smoking ban has been in place since March 2006 in Scotland, But.... Krakow isn't Scotland !! People complained a lot beforehand, but everyone very, very quickly accepted it, and it is now hard to imagine dirty, smelly, smoky pubs as they were, compared to clean, pleasant, pubs, where you can now breath and your eyes don't sting from the smoke. Here in Scotland, we would never want to return to the smoke filled `good old days`. There has not been much evidence of loss of income. In fact the outdoor smoking area is now where much socialising, chat and flirting goes on, they have even invented a word for it, "Smirting", a cross between smoking and flirting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smirting Maybe the smokers area will take over from the usual Krakow pub toilet queue, as the place to strike up a chance encounter with a new friend. How long until we see the first `Smirting` Wedding !! I cant imagine Dym, Pies, Pauza, Alchemia, or any of the other bars/cafes I have spent the past 11 years sharing my friends smoke, being without smoke. I am really curious; How is it being accepted, How is it working, after the first day ? I will find out when I come over in December, but I have been struggling to find much `comment` or feedback in the english language media. I understand that the Dutch had reversed their No Smoking Law recently. However I would make a plea, to my smoking friends in Krakow, give it a chance. I am not sure if we should be following the Netherlands legal/moral/social or political example from a country which has decriminalised cannabis and prostitution. What next, I am not sure if Krakow is ready for a red light district in Kazimierz or `coffee shops` selling dope in Szewska !! David PS - These are my personal views, I know many people get a little (over)excited about views which oppose their own, however I have no intention of upsetting smokers, who I believe are otherwise `normal`, or the Dutch, who are good people, in spite of some of their governments social policies, (I lived and worked in Holland for some time).

- Posted by -McGoo- from Poland on Nov 16th, 2010

Just want to point out, my post does, (or rather did), contain paragraphs!! It is a shame this otherwise wonderful site (and publication) uses a forum engine that doesn't retain formatting, thereby converting long posts into difficult to read blocks of letters!

- Posted by -McGoo- from Poland on Nov 16th, 2010

Hi McGoo! I'm seeing your paragraph breaks fine! Perhaps it is a browser issue I can check on? I'd like to know so we can fix it if necessary. Cheers, Jabber

- Posted by Jabber from Poland on Nov 16th, 2010

Only fair to mention, that if you want to, or can be bothered to read my post, it may be worthwhile popping over to the mirror forum at Cracow Life, where I am pleased to see the forum there does retain formatting. www.cracow-life.com/jabber/posts.php?thread=909 Making the post easier to read, without going cross eyed, especially if you are reading this in a smoke filled `designated smokers area`. ;-)

- Posted by -McGoo- from Poland on Nov 16th, 2010

@McGoo: We won't really know if the ban is effective until the weekend, so I'll report back then!

- Posted by bildungsr0man from Poland on Nov 16th, 2010

I was briefly in Klub Kulturalny on Szewska St last night and was quite surpirsed. This is probably notoriously one of the worst places in Krakow for smoke. Before I walked in I could smell smoke from the entrance. And when i wandered around, every second person was smoking with ashtrays on every table. There was in fact a tiny room (enough for about 8 people) with a door which closed and a sign on the outside saying no smoking. It seemed to me that either they weren't meeting the regulation (in fact it appeared as though it was a defiant piss take) or the regulation itself is fatally flawed. But there are a few things to note.. to go to the bathroom you had to pass through a smoke filled area, to enter the club to go to this isolated room you had to pass through a smoke filled area and to get a drink you had to.. you get the idea.. there is also more or less zero ventilation in this place so the smoke free area was actually filled with smoke.

- Posted by dogwood from Poland on Nov 17th, 2010

From what I read, it's a 500zl fine to the individual that is smoking, and 2000zl to the establishment if there are no 'no smoking' signs. apparently only police can give out tickets. info on who and how fines can be given out hasnt been fully released. I saw people smoking outside in Cafe Philo and Imbir. House of Beer has a seperate room for smoking (with a closed door). Doesn't look like it's scaring people away, but I guess it will take a weekend or two to see the full effect.

- Posted by GrubyOne from Poland on Nov 18th, 2010

Bunnyboy, you dont seem to respect non-smokers rights from the look of your message. Many smokers have this attitude. Non-smoking frequenters of bars and clubs will greatly appreciate non-stinking, clean, smoke free environments (no going home in toxic smelling clothes anymore! Yay). Incidentally when the ban was introduced in Australia, patronage increased because non-smokers started going out again...

- Posted by voymar from Poland on Nov 21st, 2010

You hear a lot of doomsday predictions about the result of this smoking ban. And a lot of cynicism towards it's effectiveness from non-smokers and smokers alike. In actual fact, so far in Krakow the ban has been a complete failure. This can only be blamed on the lack of positivity towards the idea. Whilst phillip morris sits back and says nothing about this, an army of addicted followers fight on his behalf with arguments like "you can't take away the peoples communist right to smoke" (yes.. someone actually said this to me) or "businesses will fail because everyone will stop going out". It's a joke.. and has done nothing except proven how difficult it is to encourage change in a society where negativity is so ingrained .

- Posted by dogwood from Poland on Nov 22nd, 2010

Well, so far two out of two clubs I visited over the weekend were not exactly full of smokers, but there were noticeable groups of people smoking, and definitely not trying to hide that fact. However, going to Nowa Prowincja cafe was a completely different affair, as there is not a prominent 'no smoking' sign on the door, and no ashtrays or smoking inside whatsoever. I think as long as club owners don't enforce the ban (or the clubs are so big that it's nearly impossible logistically), people will continue to smoke in the more popular and crowded clubs and bars. However, the smaller venues and cafes seem to be following the ban.

- Posted by bildungsr0man from Poland on Nov 23rd, 2010

Just returned from a trip to Wroclaw on the first weekend of the smoking ban. It appears you can smoke in the bars and restaurants if the establishment has a designated area for smokers. I feel this is the way forward and not a blanket ban as in the UK, as long as a part of the bar or restaurant is set aside for smokers and closed off, then I do not see a problem. I have read the ban has been reversed in Holland and the Germans are considering lifting the ban in certain areas. Smoking and drinking for some people is viewed as a pleasure and I feel this pleasure for those who want to partake should not be denied.

- Posted by andykaren from Poland on Nov 25th, 2010

I don't think anyone is denying someone of the pleasure of smoking and drinking by saying you cannot do it in an establishment where there are others whom will be affected by their smoking. This can be done in one's home. I really don't care what people do personally, as long as they're not causing harm to others as part of their actions. Smoking is a strange issue because it is one of the few things that seems to be acceptable behaviour despite the fact it has a serious negative effect on the health of others. A blanket ban would have made more sense rather than this wishy washy law which appears to be not really working. What is it with people who bang on about smokers rights?? seriously... it's nuts. Let's all move with the times eh?

- Posted by dogwood from Poland on Dec 2nd, 2010

Hi Folks Thanks very much for the updates on the smoking/no smoking situation. I am sure that Krakow wouldn't be Krakow without this new law invoking much heated debate and discussion. I have no doubt that there will be many attempts to circumvent or `avoid

- Posted by -McGoo- from Poland on Dec 5th, 2010

Sorry - suffered from a bit of premature posting there !! Was just going to finish off by saying I am sure many places may be burying their heads in their ashtrays, up to their neck in ash to avoid the regulations, at least until the Straż Miejska have the full powers to enforce the regulations. @Jabber - Seem's like the KP forum still has the paragraph issue, yet if I read the CL forum it looks OK. I am using Firefox 3.6.12 on Win Vista. Is there an email we can use if I can help with more techy info. Cheers David

- Posted by -McGoo- from Poland on Dec 5th, 2010

@McGood (David) Paragraph breaks fixed on Krakow Post. I was not sure what site you were commenting, as Krakow Post and Cracow Life share this forum. Anyway, all good now, I hope! Cheers, Jabber

- Posted by Jabber from Poland on Dec 8th, 2010

I will be visiting Krakow in a couple of weeks, is it still possible to smoke in pubs in the city. If so which pubs and clubs have an area set aside for this.

- Posted by andykaren from Poland on Dec 26th, 2010

@andykaren I have only been here for a week, this time, however it looks like most of the pubs I have beeen in have a smoking area set aside for smokers. I havent been in that many, however if you have been before and have a specific location you want me to check, let me know and I will do my best to sus it out. For example in Piekny Pies, the whole of the 'back' room is sectioned off for smokers, likewise in Miejsce they have installed a large glass/perspex partition separating the bar into two smoking/no smoking areas. You get the idea. I am certain you will have no problems finding a plalce for a smoke, having said that I have really been enjoying having use of the smoke free bars this past week. Cheers David PS @Jabber, thanks for the para. fix !

- Posted by -mcgoo- from Poland on Dec 27th, 2010

Thanks for that David, we have been beforeand are coming again in January. Can you smoke in the Bull pub, Irish Embassy, Paparazzi and the music bar Showtime.

- Posted by andykaren from Poland on Dec 28th, 2010

OK, had a wander round your pubs this afternoon; Paparazzi - Room at the back is sectioned off as the smoking area. Irish Embassy - no smoking at all in the pub. According to barmaid ,"people go outside to smoke ". Good luck with that gem of advice in January!! John Bull Pub-no smoking ( had to dona dusguise for that in case any of my Polish friends saw me in there ;-) Showtime: smoking on first and second floors, according to large poster on door. Didn't go into check it out. Hope that helps. David. (presently enjoying a beer, hiding from the cold in one of Krakows newer drinking den's 'Rozrywki Trzy' on Mikolajska, one of Piękny pies sister pubs.)

- Posted by -McGoo- from Poland on Dec 29th, 2010

Thanks alot for that David, don't think there will be many outside the Irish Mbassy, thanks again and a Happy New Year to you and yours.

- Posted by andykaren from Poland on Dec 30th, 2010

Is the smoking ban still holding, or are pubs and clubs findind away around it?

- Posted by andykaren from Poland on May 4th, 2011

The smoking ban is still on in public places. But some of the places have separate rooms for smoking people or if the place has a summer garden to sit in you will be able to smoke there.

- Posted by Anna from Poland on May 24th, 2013