Smoke Free Salsa Survey

Smokefree vs Smoking Allowed salsa venues in your region

bailar y tocar said:

Smokefree vs Smoking Allowed salsa venues in your region

Click to expand...

Doesn't apply to California. It is smoke free everywhere. I think NY is the same too. I think even Paris (France), Berlin banned smoking in clubs and other public areas from this year. Ireland, Norway, Malta, Finland, the U.K. and Italy already banned it in public places. It will be interesting to hear from people over there if it is strictly followed.

Boston and Cambridge were also smoke-free last time I checked

100% smoke free and thank god for that. It's a filthy habit.

I am asking the question because I read that Spain banned smoking in public places but people ignore the ban. Supposedly Cuba banned smoking in clubs but you'd be hard pressed to believe that, they just took away the ash trays and called it a smoking ban.

KP-salsa said:

100% smoke free and thank god for that. It's a filthy habit.

Click to expand...

Second that big time.

bailar y tocar said:

I am asking the question because I read that Spain banned smoking in public places but people ignore the ban. Supposedly Cuba banned smoking in clubs but you'd be hard pressed to believe that, they just took away the ash trays and called it a smoking ban.

Click to expand...

That is the interesting question about smoking ban. How much of it gets enforced and how much of it remains only on the books.

Scotland introduced a smoking ban 2 years ago, and it's been working very well. All salsa venues I know in Scotland are smoke-free.

In Japan, there is a law that *encourages* the separation of smoking areas in public places, but it has no enforcement clauses so it's not worth the paper it's written on. Smoking is allowed in most salsa clubs. Most dance studios holding salsa parties are smoke-free. There is a regular afternoon/early evening social held in a community hall which is actually named "no smoking salsa".

I forget how lucky I am in this respect to live in California! I have a mild form of asthma, but smoke is an almost instant trigger. I never think about this in regards to salsa, just taking it for granted that salsa settings are smoke free, but then sometimes go dancing while I'm traveling elsewhere and am almost always surprised and disappointed when I encounter smoke infested salsa venues.

Germany introduced smoking bans a year ago but they differ from state to state. There have been crazy discussions and lawsuits going on, and smoking bans in some states (like Baden-Wuerttemberg where I live) were declared unconstitutional.
Now Baden-Wuerttemberg has the following interim rules but must find suited laws by the end of the year:
- Generally smoking is banned in clubs/bars/restaurants but with exceptions:
- If the club/bar/restaurant has two separate rooms, smoking is allowed in the smaller room (if the owner wishes to allow smoking).
- If the bar/club/restaurant has an outside area or beergarden, smoking is allowed in this outside area.
- If the club/bar is smaller than 75 m², does not offer prepared food, and denies access for youths under 18, the owner may allow smoking.

What makes it even more absurd: Not only do I have to figure out now if I can enter a place and have smoke-free air. But if I travel 30 km west from where I live I'm in Rhineland-Palatine and other smoking rules apply. If I travel 40 km north I'm in Hesse, and different smoking rules apply, and if I travel 65 km north-east I'm in Bavaria and still different rules apply.
"Ils sont foux, ces Allemands"

Unfortunately with the recent smoking ban in Houston, I can no longer go outside for a breath of fresh air. Now I have to go INSIDE for a breath of fresh air! I wouldn't trade it though. No more headaches while I'm dancing.

One club on Wednesday nights allows smoking, but otherwise it's smoke free at the places I go dancing at.

You need another choice. Where I am the city is smoke free, but the suburbs are not. Dance studios are smoke free. Dance lessons & dancing are sometimes held in restaurants where smoking is permitted. It is quite a change when I go to one of these places, but it is not often. Also, I live very close to the neighbor state which I think is entirely smoke free. Most of my classes and dance parties which I attend are out of state.

I'm with you, SmartAlx on the going out to cool off/get air being more complicated. Still adore NM being smoke-free though. It's always puzzling for me when I travel -- particularly to the Caribbean -- and people are smoking everywhere & dancing.

I also visit Cincinnati a fair amount- it's frustrating cuz Ohio (or Cincy?) is smoke-free but much of the nightlife is on the other side of the river in Kentucky, where it'll take a lil' while to go smoke-free...