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ISSUES
PUBLIC PLACE SMOKING (PPS)
Smoking restrictions are nothing new, but anti-tobacco activists are increasingly asking governments to go much further, even calling for total bans on lighting up in public places such as bars and restaurants. But there are good and workable ways to banish smoke but not smokers, so that people who smoke don't have to suffer social exclusion.
We don't think people should be free to smoke wherever they like and we know many people dislike the smell of tobacco smoke and find it annoying. But we believe that total smoking bans are unnecessary and unfair, and many public opinion polls have shown them to be unpopular. That is why British American Tobacco supports an EU-wide smoking ban in indoor workplaces and public places with limited exemptions. We are keen to discuss practical and reasonable solutions that can support public policy as part of the process of debate started by the Commission's Green Paper.