Austria has officially banned smoking inside catering establishments including bars and restaurants. This was one of the last countries where smokers could still smoke inside - indoor smoking has been banned in Scotland since 2006 and the rest of the UK since 2007 - and this is welcome news to non-smokers who have long been clamouring for clean air. However, the new Austrian law, which came into effect on November 1st, has many smokers up in arms.
The law has a special significance in Austria's ski resorts, where skiers were previously able to light up without having to step outside into a blizzard. Indeed, this might be one reason behind the success of Austria's après-ski scene! But will smoking inside a ski-in, ski-out umbrella bar really be a thing of the past from now on? The Snowplaza team has been to several Austrian ski resorts over the past few weeks and has had the chance to get a firsthand glimpse of the law's effect.
Surprisingly enough, many skiers and snowboarders in Austria are respecting the smoking ban, huddling outside in sub-zero temperatures whenever they have to smoke. However, as might be expected, people are still continuing to smoke inside in many pubs, and we haven't heard of any fines being given out for smoking inside. For now, enforcement of the anti-smoking ban seems to depend more on the pub owners and staff. It's still early in the season so we can't promise you that your favourite après-ski bar will be enforcing or not enforcing the law. We partied in Obergurgl for the Snowplaza Ski Opening and the ban was enforced by security at that venue.
Italy, France, Spain and Andorra have similar laws, with smoking also being banned in indoor restaurants and bars. Scandinavia and North America have an even stricter approach to smoking, and the Canadian ski resort of Whistler-Blackcomb made headlines in 2015 when it implemented a 100% ban on smoking in the entire resort. This includes in the lifts, on the slopes, in and outside the restaurants, in the village streets, everywhere. The ski resort stated that they know their guests come for clean air, and smoking is at odds with that. No matter where you turn, it looks like your options are dwindling if you're a smoker. We want everybody to enjoy skiing, whether smoker or non-smoker, so let's hope that appropriate areas for smokers are set up with ashtrays and maybe some heat lamps!
Born and raised in the ski paradise of Vancouver, Canada, I learned to ski before I can remember, balancing precariously on my parents’ skis as they sailed down the hill. I started snowboarding in my teens and am now delighted to be exploring everything Europe’s ski scene has to offer!
