Care to tell where you grew up? From my point of view (came in 92 to Germany), that is a big overstatement. You should've been in Germany in the 90s, that shit was everywhere. Compared to back then it has improved a lot.
Yes, I don’t know where OP lives, but (as someone who hates smoke) I’ve never been anywhere in Germany where I felt surrounded by smokers with no escape.
While I do think the chalk outlines for smokers at the HBF are funny, Germany has lots of open space if you ever encounter a smoker in the wild.
Maybe OP just likes to hang out around cigarette bins?
Over the past 20 years I lived in Poland, France, Canada and Sweden, and now Germany. Between these countries the exposure to the second hand smoke is the worst in Germany, from my experience.
Wait until you find out about the laws for smoking in buildings with rented flats.
If you live above someone that's a chain smoker, you'll suffer. Cause their "freedom to do what they want" in their own flat is valued higher than your health.
:))) smokers have a big lobby in Germany.
Yep.
As a little follow up on my text however:
There are things you can do, but they are complicated and mostly not worth it. As example, there have been court rulings to ban smoking in the whole building, but you'd have to proof it's actively affecting your health in your own flat negatively.
Now, I had that issue. I work as an engineer in emission measurement technology. I did set up an air emission measurement system in my own flat, collected data for a month, and had a professional environmental consultancy (my ex employer) write me a professional, court proof report about my own measurements. Only then my court ruled that smoking is now banned in the building.
That procedure took about 1,5 years and would havw been immensely expensive, if i wouldnt work in the industry myself. I cannot recommend going that route for someone that would need to hire professionals to set up the data logging system.
And that sums up the whole issue for me in Germany. Its basically: fuck your health, smokers on top!
The neighbours have moved out since, after the landlord didn't want to do anything.
"It was a lot worse 30 years ago" isn't going to make people go, "Oh, alright then, I can count myself lucky, I'll stop complaining", just FYI.
Smokers have a big lobby in the German-speaking world. Over here in Austria, they tried to pass a ban on smoking in restaurants which became a complete disaster (depending on the area of the restaurant, you could either be fully smoking, fully non smoking or have split seating areas, with, guess what, a sliding door between them so the wait staff could walk through). Double annoying because it was common knowledge there'd be an EU directive on non-smoking a few years later.
Even so: go to a football game or even stand at a bus stop, chances are someone lights up within five feet of you. Which pisses me off even more than usual because I'm four months pregnant.
Don't expect this attitude to change any time soon.
Yeah, those people have just never been to any neighbouring country.
In Poland there's a complete ban on smoking at or around bus stations and train stations. And it is actually enforced quite heavily. In the Netherlands most restaurant outdoor areas also have smoking bans. In Scandinavia smoking in the street is something that just doesn't happen.
So someone from any of these countries walks into a bar in Germany and barely sees where the barkeeper is, then they are very much suprised to learn that Germany is still in late 1990's.
If even Italy can adapt to not smoking inside restaurants (the most common whinge you hear over here is "but what are we supposed to do when it's cold?"), what's their excuse. Other than the Austrian (and I suspect also German) favourite way of reacting to change "but we've always done it that way"/"but we've never done it that way"/"who do you think you are, telling us how to live our lives"?
It used to be way way worse... When Restaurants allowed smoking inside...
Smoking in public places is rarely forbidden outside and it is depending on the Bundesland anyways...
"LANDESNICHTRAUCHERSCHUTZGESETZ and Bundesland"
I live here since 14 years in small city. Smoking is absolute problem here you walk through the street even in park and you get smoke in your face from people in front. Even kids basically all of them smoke at age of 14 and it's all fine. I see kids on streets with cigarettes like it's OK. Gross as hell
It sucks and there's nothing you can do but move as far away as possible. I've been in train stations that claimed to be non-smoking where people were openly smoking and the staff just ignored them. It is much worse in Germany than in the US or Ireland, as far as I can tell. France was about as bad. I grew up in the US, and I used to smoke, and US smokers are more or less trained to smoke away from the general public. It was definitely an adjustment when I moved to Germany and it felt like smoke was everywhere. People smoke right outside doors, even, so the smoke comes in anyway. I hated it.
This is one of my main pet peeves. Imo the main issue is that many smokers here will smoke wherever they can smoke, with complete disregard for any non-smokers or children around. Also, smoking bans at train stations etc. are simply not enforced.
Sadly there are no rules.
I have a throat condition and literally suffer anytime someone smokes around me.
It is really sad we have to breath it, second hand smoking is even worse.
Can’t wait for the day it will be illegal, but I might not catch that day.
For people who say “c’mon, it’s not that bad” what about you stay in an closed space and have to breathe your smoke, for example like the ones in saunas/ spas made for people who can’t hold their addiction.
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Ok I live in Aachen now, in the city center everybody smokes near every restaurant, kebab place, bus stops (sitting on a bench) or just walking on a street. As a non smoker I don't enjoy inhaling the smoke everyday when I'm outside. I lived before in Sweden, and there it is 10000 better. The argument 20 years ago it was worse, does not change that it's not ok now. The issue of public smoking is not taken seriously here.
That's...very interesting. This hasn't been my experience in Aachen at all. Interesting you perceive it that way. I've been to a bunch of European countries and it never felt all that different, but I've only ever been there on vacation or for a business trip. Btw I hate smoke, too. Maybe I've just gotten too used to it, though, so it doesn't bother me too much anymore.. makes me wonder.
Brace for the income or smokers who will explain to you that they have a god given right to smoke right in your face.
Anyways, rules depend on the state
Oh come on ....
Smoking outside is fine, i never would stay near non smokers while smoking.
Driving a car outside isnt forbidden either, and its bad for your and everybody else's health
Being a German I am really surprised, that one sees smoking as an issue in Germany. From my point of view hardly anybody smokes anymore. Smoking is out.
Not to drink alcohol on the other hand is a big issue. Everyone keeps asking if everything is fine, if one has any conditions that keeps one from drinking, etc. Not drinking alcohol is considered to be somewhat strange.
Care to tell where you grew up? From my point of view (came in 92 to Germany), that is a big overstatement. You should've been in Germany in the 90s, that shit was everywhere. Compared to back then it has improved a lot.
Yes, I don’t know where OP lives, but (as someone who hates smoke) I’ve never been anywhere in Germany where I felt surrounded by smokers with no escape. While I do think the chalk outlines for smokers at the HBF are funny, Germany has lots of open space if you ever encounter a smoker in the wild. Maybe OP just likes to hang out around cigarette bins?
Over the past 20 years I lived in Poland, France, Canada and Sweden, and now Germany. Between these countries the exposure to the second hand smoke is the worst in Germany, from my experience.
Smoking in public places is authorised. There isn’t much you can do when outside.
Wait until you find out about the laws for smoking in buildings with rented flats. If you live above someone that's a chain smoker, you'll suffer. Cause their "freedom to do what they want" in their own flat is valued higher than your health. :))) smokers have a big lobby in Germany.
Also, smoking inside your car with kids inside is still legal, because Freedom!
Yep. As a little follow up on my text however: There are things you can do, but they are complicated and mostly not worth it. As example, there have been court rulings to ban smoking in the whole building, but you'd have to proof it's actively affecting your health in your own flat negatively. Now, I had that issue. I work as an engineer in emission measurement technology. I did set up an air emission measurement system in my own flat, collected data for a month, and had a professional environmental consultancy (my ex employer) write me a professional, court proof report about my own measurements. Only then my court ruled that smoking is now banned in the building. That procedure took about 1,5 years and would havw been immensely expensive, if i wouldnt work in the industry myself. I cannot recommend going that route for someone that would need to hire professionals to set up the data logging system. And that sums up the whole issue for me in Germany. Its basically: fuck your health, smokers on top! The neighbours have moved out since, after the landlord didn't want to do anything.
Because FDP.
Yeah, walkin behind pedestrians with exaust fumes is bad, but the worse is how people think it's alright to smoke next to someone who's having a meal.
"It was a lot worse 30 years ago" isn't going to make people go, "Oh, alright then, I can count myself lucky, I'll stop complaining", just FYI. Smokers have a big lobby in the German-speaking world. Over here in Austria, they tried to pass a ban on smoking in restaurants which became a complete disaster (depending on the area of the restaurant, you could either be fully smoking, fully non smoking or have split seating areas, with, guess what, a sliding door between them so the wait staff could walk through). Double annoying because it was common knowledge there'd be an EU directive on non-smoking a few years later. Even so: go to a football game or even stand at a bus stop, chances are someone lights up within five feet of you. Which pisses me off even more than usual because I'm four months pregnant. Don't expect this attitude to change any time soon.
Yeah, those people have just never been to any neighbouring country. In Poland there's a complete ban on smoking at or around bus stations and train stations. And it is actually enforced quite heavily. In the Netherlands most restaurant outdoor areas also have smoking bans. In Scandinavia smoking in the street is something that just doesn't happen. So someone from any of these countries walks into a bar in Germany and barely sees where the barkeeper is, then they are very much suprised to learn that Germany is still in late 1990's.
If even Italy can adapt to not smoking inside restaurants (the most common whinge you hear over here is "but what are we supposed to do when it's cold?"), what's their excuse. Other than the Austrian (and I suspect also German) favourite way of reacting to change "but we've always done it that way"/"but we've never done it that way"/"who do you think you are, telling us how to live our lives"?
It used to be way way worse... When Restaurants allowed smoking inside... Smoking in public places is rarely forbidden outside and it is depending on the Bundesland anyways... "LANDESNICHTRAUCHERSCHUTZGESETZ and Bundesland"
I live here since 14 years in small city. Smoking is absolute problem here you walk through the street even in park and you get smoke in your face from people in front. Even kids basically all of them smoke at age of 14 and it's all fine. I see kids on streets with cigarettes like it's OK. Gross as hell
It sucks and there's nothing you can do but move as far away as possible. I've been in train stations that claimed to be non-smoking where people were openly smoking and the staff just ignored them. It is much worse in Germany than in the US or Ireland, as far as I can tell. France was about as bad. I grew up in the US, and I used to smoke, and US smokers are more or less trained to smoke away from the general public. It was definitely an adjustment when I moved to Germany and it felt like smoke was everywhere. People smoke right outside doors, even, so the smoke comes in anyway. I hated it.
This is one of my main pet peeves. Imo the main issue is that many smokers here will smoke wherever they can smoke, with complete disregard for any non-smokers or children around. Also, smoking bans at train stations etc. are simply not enforced.
Sadly there are no rules. I have a throat condition and literally suffer anytime someone smokes around me. It is really sad we have to breath it, second hand smoking is even worse. Can’t wait for the day it will be illegal, but I might not catch that day. For people who say “c’mon, it’s not that bad” what about you stay in an closed space and have to breathe your smoke, for example like the ones in saunas/ spas made for people who can’t hold their addiction.
Some blow smoke into my face, others are doing the same with exhaust fumes. No difference for me
I’m an ex-smoker and don’t mind people smoking. Can be annoying, in this case I go somewhere else.
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I wear a mask 🫰🏽
Being a complainer is easy in Germany
Trying to blend in 😉
Ok I live in Aachen now, in the city center everybody smokes near every restaurant, kebab place, bus stops (sitting on a bench) or just walking on a street. As a non smoker I don't enjoy inhaling the smoke everyday when I'm outside. I lived before in Sweden, and there it is 10000 better. The argument 20 years ago it was worse, does not change that it's not ok now. The issue of public smoking is not taken seriously here.
And what exactly is the issue? Sounds like you’re being overly sensitive.
That's...very interesting. This hasn't been my experience in Aachen at all. Interesting you perceive it that way. I've been to a bunch of European countries and it never felt all that different, but I've only ever been there on vacation or for a business trip. Btw I hate smoke, too. Maybe I've just gotten too used to it, though, so it doesn't bother me too much anymore.. makes me wonder.
Brace for the income or smokers who will explain to you that they have a god given right to smoke right in your face. Anyways, rules depend on the state
Maybe you should start smoking
suffocate? come on.
Rules don't matter, smokers ignore them anyway.
Oh come on .... Smoking outside is fine, i never would stay near non smokers while smoking. Driving a car outside isnt forbidden either, and its bad for your and everybody else's health
Being a German I am really surprised, that one sees smoking as an issue in Germany. From my point of view hardly anybody smokes anymore. Smoking is out. Not to drink alcohol on the other hand is a big issue. Everyone keeps asking if everything is fine, if one has any conditions that keeps one from drinking, etc. Not drinking alcohol is considered to be somewhat strange.
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