Large majority of Swedes in favor of upcoming smoking ban

0 Comments | AFP, May, 2005

STOCKHOLM (AFP) — A large majority of Swedes are in favor of a country-wide ban on smoking in all bars and restaurants scheduled to take effect next month, according to a poll.

Some 85 percent of Swedes said they favoured a total ban on smoking in restaurants, and 95 percent said they expected to go out to eat as often or more often once the ban goes into effect, according to the survey of 2,000 people conducted by the polling firm Temo and published Monday.

On June 1, Sweden will join a growing number of countries with total bans on lighting up in all public places, including neighboring Norway.

Seventy-seven percent of the Swedes questioned in the Temo poll, which was published by news agency TT, meanwhile said they thought banning smoking in bars and...