French pub derived benefit from smoking ban

January 21, 2008

Small restaurant in French Rennes city derived benefit from smoking ban which has been put into force since the 1st of January 2008: visitors, who go out of doors to smoke cigarettes, are provided with warm vests with big image of restaurant logo. Thus, the restaurant kills two birds with one stone: they display concern for smokers, and walking advertisement is used with the help of smokers. This idea came to my mind when I was glancing over advertising catalogues in September. I bought 30 vests 10 euro each one, said the owner of the pub Jiles Gerard about his marketing mix. With this, Gerard also avoids complaints from clients regarding new smoking ban which is had to be observed.

Since the 1st of January 2008 smoking ban in public places (pubs, restaurants, tobacco stores, casinos, clubs) has been put into force in France. Average law breaker should pay 68 euro, and the owners of the establishments who do not observe the law should pay 135 euro. The control of the law observance is carried out by 175 thousand of government employees, such as law enforcement officers, sanitary inspectors, safety engineers and other authorized persons.

Such strict measures, restraining cigarettes smoking, caused indignation of French smokers, many conspicuous public figures, and a lot of cigarettes sellers. However, the followers of this smoking ban consider French smokers can adapt themselves to new rules, as it has been done by Irishmen, Belgians and Italians.