So smoking in Spain and France seems quite prevalent
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My friend got his hair cut by a Russian woman. She asked him if he smoked, and when he said yes she was like "Is sexy!" And then she asked him how much, and when he told her a pack a day she was like "Is too much!".
In Canada I'm actually shocked now when I see people smoking in public (outside of a bar setting). It's become so uncommon now that it's a big Surprise to me when I do see it.
Yes, that surprised me as well when I was there this summer.
In particular when there are literally "no smoking allowed because of forest fires" signs all over the place and people STILL smoke there.
In particular when there are literally "no smoking allowed because of forest fires" signs all over the place and people STILL smoke there.
I guess it is one of the only good things that works in Brazil, smoking in closed public spaces is banned since 2009.
I remember trying to eat while some douchebag was puffing smoke everywhere or the smell in your clothes after a night in a club. Good riddance.
I remember trying to eat while some douchebag was puffing smoke everywhere or the smell in your clothes after a night in a club. Good riddance.
I don't think I've ever seen decreasing smoking rates being linked to puritanism before.
What's your logic behind that statement?
It was my attempt at humor. I promise I won't do it again. Jeez fuckin Louise.
What the fuck? I had to pay for drinking alcohol in the train. It's prohibited in Hamburg in most trains (which is great for all those drunk assholes all the time).
I am a smoker/vaper (Vaper in Germany, cigarettes everywhere where vaping is not allowed). It's annoying to find a smoke spot in Japans big cities, but I wouldn't mind having that in Germany too and killing smoking on the streets completely.
You don´t know what true freedom is if you never got wasted on public transportation in broad daylight.
To bo honest, Germany is unique regarding public drinking. It's way stricter in most European countries. Every time I go to Germany it's a bit of a culture shock for me how prevalent drinking in public is in Germany.
ITT: Americans think Europe is a single country with a singular culture.
This stat differs hugely between different countries in (western) Europe. Smoking has seen major declines almost everywhere but some countries pick it up quicker than others.
This stat differs hugely between different countries in (western) Europe. Smoking has seen major declines almost everywhere but some countries pick it up quicker than others.
UK smoking rates are similar to the US, now at least. It's pretty bad on mainland Europe though, the smell is the worst.
Yep.
It's on the decline in The Netherlands, where i live. But a LOT of people still smoke.
It's that mindset of "Well we're free to do what we want and i WANT to smoke. It's not an addiction" thing.
I'm so glad i stopped years ago. Only thing i have done that i regret. And i tried a lot of other stuff.
It gives you nothing. Not a high, no insights, not a fucking thing but health problems.
It's on the decline in The Netherlands, where i live. But a LOT of people still smoke.
It's that mindset of "Well we're free to do what we want and i WANT to smoke. It's not an addiction" thing.
I'm so glad i stopped years ago. Only thing i have done that i regret. And i tried a lot of other stuff.
It gives you nothing. Not a high, no insights, not a fucking thing but health problems.
There were many more in Spain in say, 10 years ago. Now things are better. edit: latest polls say 22% are daily smokers, at least it's less than 30%.
Yep, I was in Greece recently and was shocked to inhale cigarette smoke at a restaurant, it was paralysing, I can't stand the smell. Felt like I was ambushed, having to experience it indoors was a culture shock.
Smoking is not common here in UK unless your at bars/clubs where smokers still congregate outside.
Not sure if we've banned it from all public spaces, like bus stops though.
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(Mostly young) People were smoking like chimneys in Edmonton when I last visited a few months ago.
The difference in my lifetime has been HUGE though in the Netherlands. (I am 42)
I remember people smoking in trains, in restaurants and cafes, in the University building, in cars, school yards, in school at school dances.
Funny thing is I never minded it back then, but now that I am used to the cleaner air, it is fucking gross if someone lights one up in a closed room. I cannot even imagine going to a restaurant where people smoke these days.
Having been born and raised in Europe, I can say the same. Although it's not as bad as it used to be (speaking more about Germany here). They still had the old school cigarette vending machines back in 2004. Idk about now.
Even with all the smoking, the cities are still cleaner.
Even with all the smoking, the cities are still cleaner.
Public drinking is very prevalent in Finland, especially among students. It's also quite common to grab a beer from a store on your way to a festival or a concert to drink while you walk to the venue.
We even have a separate word for public drinking, pussikalja (literally bag beer). From urban dictionary:
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Yeah it's insane. In the train, in the airplane, restaurants. I figure i'll still die of lung-cancer anyway.
Yes it's gross. And it was even worse when my parents grew up. They always smoked inside the house.
Watch Mad Men if you haven't already. Commercials in the old days even said smoking was good for you.
Still, relatively many people still smoke in The Netherlands.
Lol yeah my parents smoked in the house too.
The percentage of smokers in the Netherlands is 22,4% (2018), so while still a lot, it is a lot worse in a lot of countries.
There's been a kind of generational shift in Spain too.
I think there are more young women smokers than young men smokers. We had a big decline in smoking rates too up until the recession and it's being going up again ever since because the recovery has mostly been felt by companies and not ordinary people.
I think there are more young women smokers than young men smokers. We had a big decline in smoking rates too up until the recession and it's being going up again ever since because the recovery has mostly been felt by companies and not ordinary people.
Holy shit! 50% of men in Russia smoke?Male:
That's kinda insane isn't it?
The lung cancer rates must be through the roof.
Fair enough! I mean, we drink in parks in the summer, or on our way to a party or whatever. It's not unusual. Germany is different though, seeing people walk around with a beer, in broad daylight in the middle of the day, just drinking on it while going to a shop or something, that will never stop surprising me hahah
Smoking though, by now it's becoming very rare at least in Oslo. Like, I'm surprised if I smell smoke walking down the street, it feels so unnatural and weird.
Anecdotal for sure, but, in my group of friends, the only smokers are women and steadily less and less as time goes on (also Spain).
Forbidding smoking in public spaces quite a few years ago was really good, as well as efforts to publicize the damage smoking can cause. Also, I think the price has gone up quite a bit.
From a quick glance it seems like Sweden is the only country on earth where women smoke more than menMale:
Female:
The reduction of U.S. smoking rates from the 1950s to the present represents one of the greatest public health triumphs (and public education campaigns) in history, and it was built on aggressive regulation and government action.
Left-leaning think tanks and politicians still point to the success of anti-smoking measures to inspire action on all the other things the U.S. sucks at.
Left-leaning think tanks and politicians still point to the success of anti-smoking measures to inspire action on all the other things the U.S. sucks at.
It was way worse before. I remember when the uni corridors were basically made of smoke, it was disgusting. Going to a club or a bar meant a change of clothes because everything stank big time. From one day to the other smoking was banned indoors and the world was a better place.
Now it only bothers me in sport events (in open stadiums) but I think they're banning that too.
I don't mind people smoking on the street, come on, there's room for everyone.
Now it only bothers me in sport events (in open stadiums) but I think they're banning that too.
I don't mind people smoking on the street, come on, there's room for everyone.
That's probably because like 20% of men use snus (vs. 3% of women).
Aren't russians known to not give a shit about their health in general? Smoking, drugs & alcohol in huge quantity to the point where the life expectancy of men is something like 65.
Edmonton is a unique situation. The Northern Alberta oilfields are basically our version of Siberian Exile.
Yeah, this thread is insane: "Anti-Smoking Measures is Nanny-State stuff, but the government should be cracking down on Junk Food and people's diets."
Like, really? The addictive carcinogen that dumps tar in your longs is "se' la vie", but Oreo's and Mac N' Cheese need's to be outlawed? Is that Americans are just "backwards" at everything according to Europe? No matter what it is? Can the United States really not be allowed to do anything right?
Or is it personal bias? Is it because people are used to it or like it, so they refuse to accept that it's bad? People do that a lot too.
Actually one of the few things the USA gets right. It was pretty good when I visit the country some years back.
Spain has much less now than some years ago (thank god about the no smoking inside ALL buildings rules we got), but still is more prevalent than there.
Spain has much less now than some years ago (thank god about the no smoking inside ALL buildings rules we got), but still is more prevalent than there.
That was becuase you visited normal streets in barcelona and not going in the middle of el rabal and the bad neighbourhoods, and Spain has actually really good cleaning companies on most cities. Cant talk about Paris. Its true, that even with less smoking, usa cities seem to be dirtier, even in the most popular parts.
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Yeah I noticed the same. In the last few weeks I went to Stockholm and Hamburg and noticed how few people smoked in Stockholm and how many in Hamburg. Where I live in The Netherlands it is somewhere in between.
Smokers in Sweden are being more and more limited (by law) where they can smoke in public spaces nowadays. Can't smoke at train stations (including outdoor platforms), in or outside restaurants, locations that kids and young adults frequent, outside stores, around entrances to public places. Several parts of Sweden have also banned smoking at beaches.
And as you say, snus probably contributes to smoking being less frequent in Sweden, which is way less intrusive than smoking for people around you, so I'm all for it.
30 years ago it seemed like everyone smoked.
Hell you could even smoke on airplanes.
I don't miss it. Smoking sucks.
What? I don't think that's true..? At least I never ever saw anyone doing so in my 19 years in Madrid (and this is mostly through all the 90s and early 00s).
When I was in Japan, I was amazed at the amount of smokers I saw. The arcades were especially bad.
