Comments on: Smoking in Vienna

By: Amazona

Amazona — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:40:20 +0000

Hi all,
I live in Wien. I hated the cigarretes smell since I was a child, so that made me to be a non smoker person. Life in Wien is great, but I have to recognise that frustrate me very much when I go out to restaurants or cafes as I can never enjoy my evening because of the smokers.
I had a lung cancer at the age of 24 year old. I only have one lung. I would like to keep myself healthy and enjoy of a free smoking environment when I am in public places. Sometimes, I have asked politely to the smoker persons around me to stop smoking and I always got a negative answer from them about my request; with the consecuence that if I was in a restaurant, I had to move to another table when that was possible or simply pay my bill and go. I think that smoker people still do not know how much damage are making to their lungs. As a non smoker person I am lucky that with one lung , I can do things that a person with two could make; but if a smoker person had a lung cancer and would lose one, it would be very, very, very difficult for him/her to breath. Really, one person does not know what is not to be able to breath, until things like that happens; then smoker people will remember how cool and great was to inhale and blow smoking for nothing!!!

By: Stephen

Stephen — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 10:36:29 +0000

I just moved here, and I can’t stand the smoking in restaurants and pubs. I used to live in New York where it was banned about 10 years ago. I like pubs. I like bars. I like going out. In New York you can do it without smelling like a dirty ash-tray. Smokers go outside to get their fix – and I have never heard any smoker in NY complain about it. They accept they should not smoke in public enclosed areas. Actually smoking decreased in New York and patronage in pubs increased after the ban was made. If Vienna wants more people to go out to restaurants and bars, then ban smoking indoors. UK has done, Germany, and EVEN the French. Why is Austria so backwards? Must be the proximity to the old Eastern block countries where the cancer rates from smoking are the highest in Europe.

By: Mercedes

Mercedes — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 09:02:58 +0000

I love cities open to non smokers and smokers. I like Vienna.

By: Mercedes

Mercedes — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 09:00:48 +0000

I am thinking of going to live in Viena and I definitely I’ve made up my mind. I’ll go to Vienna because smoking is not absolutely forbidden. One may choose to smoke or not to smoke, go to places for smokers and go to no smoking places.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 03:06:24 +0000

Smokers and non smokers endless fighting:) I am European, lived in Montreal now in USA and fighting my smoking habit but still have one or two a day. I can see why smoking in-doors in public places such as restaurants especially should be banned for various reasons. However I think that Bars should allow a smoking section at least or as here in Georgia allow smokers to light up after 10 pm in some places. Smoking and non-smoking restaurants as a variety is also an option, just a though. This way people will keep their choices and everyone will be happy they have one:) By the way, I respectfully disagree with Anna C, calling marijuana a drug, that just makes me laugh… drugs are at the CVS pharmacy, Mary Jane is just a herb and has medicinal properties but just banned by majority of unwise lawmakers:)
Boom and peace to all!

By: Maria Petrak

Maria Petrak — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:21:35 +0000

I perfectly agree with you… I am the same… It is terrible, and it should be forbidden to smoke in any public places, especially because of our kids…

By: Britta

Britta — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 08:16:28 +0000

Barticagyal in Zell am See

I almost died laughing over your comment. My husband’s mother does it too. She lives out in the country. She tells me that I’m crazy for living in the city because I am missing out on all of the good, fresh air from the country. Then she sucks on her cancer stick. I pointed out the irony and she said that’s why she can smoke. The country air keeps her lungs healthy.

By: Britta

Britta — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 08:12:45 +0000

Hi Chanda,

Oh I do have to confess that I am not entirely innocent. The blog post was a bit harsh, and then I edited it a bit to take the bite out a little.

However, I think Katia’s comments only confirmed my thoughts of the arrogance of Austrian smokers.

By: Chanda

Chanda — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:31:59 +0000

Katia- What do I do as a non-smoker that endangers your health? You endanger mine when I have to breath in your smoke. Britta is not the uneducated one you are. If you choose to harm your own body go right ahead but leave mine alone!! There is no way you can control your cloud of smoke to not head over to non-smokers. If you have an addiction then seek help for it. There are plenty or programs and medications that can help. “If you don’t like it don’t go out”.. that was an incredibly rude statement (typical of smokers). What gives you the right to go out and not us?? We should have the right to enjoy ourselves also. One day you will suffer some ill effects from smoking then be crying about it; even though you as an educated person knew all of the risks involved. The sad part is your smoke will probably have damaged a non-smokers health too. Take your cigarettes and shove them! Britta is just too polite to tell you that!

By: Barticagyal in Zell am See

Barticagyal in Zell am See — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:07:02 +0000

HA!
I have an Austrian friend who wants to go study in the US. I went to school in the mid-west and was telling him how I thought Chicago was a great city to study in, but he would probably enjoy LA..blah..blah… he answered, “Yes, Chicago would be a great city, but I don’t think I could stay there so long. Maybe only a few days.”
I looked at him, “But why?”
He answered, “Because of the bad air quality, in the US there are so many cities with poor air quality.” And then he lit up a cigarette.