Why pubs and restaurants should be smoke free in Switzerland
Ladies and gentlemen, members of the university committee, are you aware of something that killed 100 Million people in the last century? It neither is World War One with its 17 Million victims, nor World War Two with 60 Million victims I am talking about. Each and every one of you faces this weapon day by day. It's the cigarette. The killing won't stop; furthermore experts say that in 2010 there are going to be another 6 Million dying in vain. We can't do anything if smokers want to die because of their addiction, but what about all the second hand smoke?
Is it fair that waitresses and office workers are exposed to the smoke of their colleagues or customers? The American Heart Association found out Cardiovascular Effects of Secondhand Smoke are nearly as large as smoking. That's why it was time to change something. I am very glad, a smoking ban in Swiss pubs and restaurants will finally become true in March of this year.
The worldwide tobacco industry sales are worth 2.3 billion dollars. With this number everybody can understand why the industry is fighting against evidence linking heart attacks or cancer with cigarettes. Nevertheless much more could be saved in hospitals and with taxes the dead smokers can't pay anymore.
In Graubünden a district of Switzerland there already is a smoking ban in public buildings. Local scientists investigated the aftermath of this new Law. The data of their investigations made clear: The number of patients with a myocardial infarction, in a 12 month period after the ban, was reduced by 22-Percent. A real success for the still heavily disputed prohibition.
Is it fair to sign a death warrant for our fellow employees, our friends and our family? Could anybody of you answer for letting people die of cancer and heart