Austria to drop impending smoking ban, bucking Western trend

While much of the West has barred smoking in restaurants and bars, Austria’s impending ban is set to be stubbed out.

The small, affluent country is famed for its Alpine scenery and its capital, Vienna, is regularly rated as the world’s best city to live in. But many visitors are surprised to find that nights out often feature the acrid smell of decades past.

Austria passed a law banning smoking in bars and restaurants as of May 2018. But that will now be overturned under a deal between the conservative People’s Party (OVP) led by Sebastian Kurz and the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) reached during their ongoing negotiations on a governing coalition, according to a person familiar with their discussions.

“The current rules will remain in place,” the person said, confirming reports by local media. Smoking is banned in general in the restaurant industry but various exceptions are allowed.

Scrapping the impending ban was an idea championed by FPO leader Heinz-Christian Strache, 48, who has repeatedly tried, in vain, to quit smoking. Kurz, who is just 31, has never acquired the habit and even shuns coffee, a rare abstinence in a country with a celebrated cafe culture.

Smoking was not a major issue in the election, in which Kurz made a hard line on immigration his theme. But some restaurant owners pushed for the planned ban to be dropped, supported by Strache, who has said they should be free to choose whether they allow customers to smoke.