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1. Juni 2004  
Smoking goes up in smoke

A lost causeIn a country where members of the royal family puffed away for years, it hasn't been easy to introduce smoking bans. But prohibitions started filtering in several years ago and as of June 1, it's now illegal to smoke anyplace in Norway where food and drink are served. That includes the royal palace.

King Harald kicked the habit recently after getting a cancer diagnosis. Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Princess Martha Louise reportedly quit when they both became pregnant.

Now the royal palace itself will "in principle" be smoke-free, claims a spokeswoman, and all ashtrays were removed over the weekend.

The "in principle" qualifier, however, indicates that it remains unsure what palace officials will do if the Queen of Denmark or the president of Norway's parliament, both heavy smokers, light up doing a palace banquet. It's unlikely they'll be forced to step outside, like office workers have done since a smoking ban was imposed on Norwegian workplaces in the mid-1990s.

Meanwhile, most restaurants and bars in Norway, which vigorously opposed the extended ban when it was first proposed, now are going along with it and even are trying to look on the bright side. Gone are most of the doomsday predictions that a smoking ban would ruin their business, and several acknowledge that many customers were looking forward to smoke-free restaurants.

One popular eating establishment greeted the ban by placing baskets of candy on the table when ashtrays were removed. Others point to smoking bans long in place elsewhere, like California, which haven't destroyed the bar and restaurant industry.

Meanwhile, Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) noted Tuesday that it will still be legal to smoke on board the cruise-ferries between Norway and Denmark. The smoking ban can't apply in international waters, but officials at one cruise company doubted passenger counts would jump as a result.

Via Aftenposten News in English.



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