Norwegian bar smoking ban reaps health rewards

By James Kilner

OSLO (Reuters) – A ban on smoking in Norwegian bars,
restaurants and nightclubs has been a huge success in improving
staff health, the government said on Tuesday.

Norway imposed the nationwide ban in June 2004, the second
country in the world after Ireland to do so, to give waiters,
cooks and other staff in the sector the same protection as
workers in offices or factories, which have long been
smoke-free.

“It’s been even more successful than we had hoped for and
means a cleaner environment and better health for all workers,”
Dagfinn Hoeybraaten, the labor and social affairs minister,
said at the launch of a government study.

Many smokers, however, grumble that their habit has become
even more unhealthy and unsociable because they are forced
outdoors in snow, wind or rain.

The study showed that staff breathing has improved,
nicotine in their urine has been virtually wiped out and air
quality cleaned up by the ban.

“Now you can compare bars and restaurants to the office.
But it was terrible before the ban, maybe worse than working in
heavy industry,” said Marit Skogstad, part of the research team
which tested 74 waiters and waitresses before and after the
ban.

Dust levels in bars and restaurants fell from over 250
milligrams to 75 milligrams per cubic meter and the amount of
nicotine in the urine of non-smokers on the staff dropped by
almost 90 percent, the study showed.

But while staff health may have improved the effect on
their morale and earnings is less clear.

“I don’t feel any better,” said non-smoker Thomas Lunqvist,
who has worked at the Three Brothers bar in the center of Oslo
for five years.

“There are less people drinking and it is hurting the
atmosphere,” he said, pointing around the near empty bar.

Around a quarter of Norwegian adults smoke, studies show,
and Oslo bars have had to be inventive to stay within the law
but ensure smokers are comfortable.

Many have installed gas-powered heaters and hauled up
canvas shelters outside, where clients can legally smoke.

One owner bought a petrol filling station, retained its
broad roof, left the sides open and allowed customers to smoke
- legally – at the bar.

Linda Jensen said she always tries to sit outside now as
she smoked a cigarette on the terrace of the Three Brothers
bar.

“Of course it’s more uncomfortable … Norway does not have
the best weather, but we will still smoke,” she said.