Julius Warner of the German Hotel and Restaurant Association explained to Deustche Welle the smoking ban was successful in dining establishments because, "The majority of the guests appreciate the smoking ban when they're eating."
To help the smaller pubs cope with the decline in their income, the association is seeking an exemption for bars with just one room. The petition that the association filed with a German Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe is scheduled for hearing next week.
Baden-Wuerttemberg and Lower Saxony implemented anti-smoking legislation in August 2007, followed by Hesse in October and nine more German states by January 2008.
Similar decline in revenues were recorded for the first quarter of 2008, with a 4.6 percent decrease for pubs and bars in 14 German states with smoking bans, while restaurants and eateries logged a minimal 0.8 percent loss.
Meanwhile, London started a 12-week debate how to reduce smoking in the U.K., primarily among young Britons. The Department of Health proposed prohibiting tobacco firms from placing any kind of logo or branding on their cigarette cases. The only kind of packing to be allowed would be plain black-and-white boxes with printed health warnings about the ill effects of nicotine on the body.
