Rokers verwachten grote problemen
Noorse rokers verwachten dat het landelijke rookverbod in de horeca, dat daar 1 juni ingaat, massaal ontdoken gaat worden en tot moeilijkheden zal leiden tussen rokers en anti-rokers.
Volgens een enquête die deze week gehouden werd ondervindt het rookverbod grote tegenstand onder rokers : 74% van de rokers is tegen de wet.
A research group at the College of Hotel Science polled guests at public hospitality outlets in Stavanger and found that 72 percent of smokers expected trouble between them and non-smokers when the law will have to be enforced.
The controversial regulation has the support of 71 percent of non-smokers, and is opposed by 74 percent of smokers.
The hotel branch is concerned, fearing not only loss of business but potentially dangerous arguments among customers that go beyond the bounds of what staff should handle.
“I expect the police to take care of things if a guest breaks the law. I will ring the police every single time a guest breaks the law. Then we’ll see what happens,” said Lauritz Hansen at the Skagen Brygge Hotel in Stavanger.
Eric Saudan of the Norwegian Hospitality Association (RBL) criticized the fact that the law only punished the place and not the smoker, but expected the conflict to blow over – eventually.
“I think it will, even though it will take time. In four to five years the problem will certainly be solved because by then anti-smoking terrorism will be complete,” Saudan told the newspaper.
