Austrian Government Bans Smoking in Bars and Restaurants

What would Freud do? That’s the question some Austrians might be asking themselves as the country has banned smoking in public places as of today. Freud, who was as fond of smoking a cigar in a cafe as much as he was talking about peoples oedipus complex and doing cocaine, probably would not have been a fan of the bill.

If you would have assumed that a day like today happened years, if not decades ago, you’re not alone. As Vox noted, Austria has largely dodged the anti-smoking movement that has curbed the behavior throughout much of the West in recent decades. Starting today, November 1, however, the country that’s become known as Europe’s ashtray is finally catching up, enforcing a long overdue ban on smoking in bars and restaurants.

The otherwise progressive country — whose capital city of Vienna has been hailed the most livable city in the world thanks to its prevalent government-subsidized housing, efficient public transit, and shockingly reasonable maternal health and child benefit policies — lags behind much of the West when it comes to kicking smoking habits. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a quarter of Austrians over the age of 15 smoke daily, which is twice the number of daily smokers in the U.S.

The World Health Organization has praised Austria’s new ban. “[It’s] important to see all countries introducing a smoke-free legislation with no further delay,” Kristina Mauer-Stender, WHO program manager for tobacco control in Europe, said in a statement to Vox. “[The] evidence is crystal clear that the only effective way to protect workers and the public from secondhand smoke is to enact 100 percent smoke-free laws that ban smoking in all indoor workplaces and public places.”

Not everyone is thrilled by the news. One Austrian bartender called the ban “expropriation,” while Peter Dobcak, the tourism and leisure chair of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce, reportedly pointed to the ban as evidence of the country’s desire to “control everything to death.”

Subscribe here for our free daily newsletter.