WHAT A DIFFERENCE a day made. On the night of January 1 street cleaner Wong Chun noticed an increase in the amount of cigarette butts in the public rubbish bins in Tsim Sha Tsui. The 48-year-old knew why.
'It's the government's smoking ban,' says Wong. 'People can't smoke in restaurants, so they have a drag on the street before or after eating. It's good though. The air quality at the cha chan teng [tea house] I go to is better now.'
Wong's observation may be purely anecdotal, but the air quality in many restaurants in the city has certainly improved since New Year's Day, when the smoking ban took effect. The new law applies to indoor areas, including restaurants, bars, karaoke lounges and workplaces. Anyone caught lighting up in these spots can be hit with a fine of up to HK$5,000.
According to press reports, workers at some cha chan tengs still turn a blind eye to customers smoking, and no diner has yet been arrested. But most restaurants are willingly complying with the law.
'We were looking forward to it,' says Wong Sing-fan, owner of Mido Cafe, a 56-year-old restaurant in Yau Ma Tei. 'Smoking is a personal habit, but in public places why should we non-smokers have to suffer second-hand smoke? We're happy with the new law. Our clients are compliant, and our employees are glad they don't have to wash ashtrays any more. They stink!'
Management of French restaurant La Fourchette in Admiralty is equally sanguine. 'There has been no impact on our business,' says executive chef Patrice Gabet. 'We were scared because we didn't know how people would react, but so far everyone has taken it well. We now have a higher turnover. We used to have some guests coming here at 10am to have a coffee and smoke four or five cigarettes. Today, people still come to have a coffee, but 10 minutes later they're gone because they need to go out to smoke.'