Smoke over flavour

The law about the protection of non-smokers might be toughened further in the autumn if the current bill is passed by parliament. People in the catering business are worried about a drop in turnover resulting from such legislation. A complete ban on smoking in restaurants has been proposed. This would come into effect in the second half of 2010. – I don’t see any problem with a ban on smoking in restaurants, but this would not be a good idea in bars and pubs – says Péter Buday, owner-chef of Matteo. In the opinion of Gyula Berkes, owner of Biarritz, this ban will not apply to bars and pubs and he believes this to be discriminative. Strict legislation in Croatia has been a nightmare for bar owners, but is very popular among non-smokers. The Guild of Hungarian Caterers has been trying to influence legislative work for years, but without much success. Their arguments have generally been pushed aside but they intend to continue their fight. The legislation currently in effect which allows guests to decide whether they want to stay in the area designated for smokers or not, is generally regarded as sufficient. – This bill is an attack against my faith in the predictability of legislation – says Tamás Albert, owner of Boom & Brass. – Why was I forced to invest millions in a ventilation system two years ago if the whole thing will become useless next year? How will I be compensated for my loss? -he asks. The majority of restaurant guests agree with the ban on smoking in restaurants and already go out when they want to smoke.