Jump to full article: Baltic Times (lv), 2004-09-16
Author: Alec Charles
Intro: And for many, a cigarette literally goes hand-in-hand with the whole experience.
But here in Estonia all this is set to change. As of next May, the government is proposing to transform the atmosphere of the country’s hostelries by imposing a smoking ban.
Yet this could damage an economy in which foreign visitors account for about half of all tobacco sales, and whose service sector constitutes over 66 per cent of its GDP. “The expected influence on the economy is marginal,” says Mario Lambing of Estonia’s Ministry of Economic Affairs. “A number of studies in the U.S.A. have found that banning smoking has not hugely affected the turnover of bars and restaurants. However, some of the studies have found quite the reverse – that prohibiting smoking has had a negative effect.”
“I’m very positive about the future of Tallinn as a non-smoking tourist destination,” says Evelin Tsirk, manager of the Tallinn City Tourist Office. . . .
Estonia’s Tobacco Act already ensures that bars and restaurants with more than one room include non-smoking areas. The new law will prohibit smoking in all establishments where food and drink are served.
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