Smoking and non-smoking in the EU

According to Stephan Hebel, both the EU's anti-smoking policy and the German debate on the subject are disastrous. "Two very different views of the world clash with each other here: trade and industry demand the right to self-regulation while the state calls for government-imposed anti-smoking laws but doesn't quite know how to box such laws through the jungle of federal and state jurisdiction. Meanwhile, smokers continue to fill pubs and bars with their smoke while the Italians enjoy smoke-free dinners. But only the EU could come up with the hare-brained idea of allowing employees to ask job candidates whether they smoke and refuse them a job on such grounds – instead of just banning smoking at workplaces altogether. This is the urgent plea of a smoker: switch on the draft law machinery and do something – at least here in Germany. We'd rather give up smoking than have to keep on listening to this never-ending debate."

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