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Where there's smoke. . . Fights are breaking out in offices and factories between smokers and non-smokers while a law goes unheeded, says L'Express magazine. Non-smokers in France are still gasping for fresh air in the workplace, almost seven years after a law was introduced to restrict smoking. Since its inception in 1992, la loi Evin has been as widely ignored as cigarette butts discarded on a Parisian boulevard. Not surprising perhaps, given the vigorous defence in this country of the right as an expression of liberty to puff away with impunity. But this has led to smoldering conflict between nicotine addicts and abstainers at work, says L'Express. The law was supposed to protect non-smoking employees in a variety of workplaces from the health hazards of second-hand cigarette smoke. The French ministry of health acknowledges that working next to a smoker inflames the risk of lung cancer by 30 to 50 percent. But an anti-smoking lobby group says the ministry needs to do more to enforce the law, which even the government flouts in its own offices, L'Express reports. As it is, non-smokers face physical attacks for complaining to co-workers who light up, says the Centre national contre le tabagisme. Opponents of smoking bans, long accepted in the American workplace, say the regulations smack of "fascism." The debate has embarrassed unions, who are divided over the protection of non-smokers versus the rights of smokers. However, some French companies, counting the cost of smoking in terms of employee absenteeism and higher health insurance costs, are following the American example. Behind the allure, a trap? The trendiest telecommunication gadget in town gets a poor reception from Le Point magazine. Parisians have taken a while to catch on, but now they're truly hooked. Mobile phones have become the absolute sine qua non of existence. To be seen gabbing into a portable while strolling the avenues, shopping and loitering in cafés is the pinnacle of chic for a growing number of devotees. In a little more than two years, the sales of portable phones have exploded fivefold to an estimated 11 million users in France. Then along comes Le Point to spoil all the fun. The magazine says mobiles, like the Internet and cable TV, are "traps to be avoided" by the wary consumer. The portable phone market is a "jungle," the magazine says, with scary billing practices. The three mobile phone operators in France offer 27 different tariff schedules, a bewildering selection that makes it all but impossible to avoid hefty bills. And calling a friend in another French café can be more expensive than phoning New York for a stock tip, since heavy competition has knocked long distance rates below the regulated fee for domestic calls. Hey, the Internet's not so bad In a special cyber-edition, L'Evénement magazine encourages its readers to sign up. Le Point may be down on the Internet but other magazines have taken a more upbeat attitude. L'Evénement even went so far as to include a free CD-ROM disc with a recent issue, promising "immediate, free access" to 200 web sites. In the same issue it says a poll by CSA Opinion shows 10 million people in France (one adult person in four) are thinking of connecting to the Internet. However, only nine percent are currently hooked up. In a commentary for the magazine, Economy and Finance Minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn says there is a risk in France of a society divided into Internet haves and have-nots. He said the government will strive to ensure equal access to the web through computers made available to the public. Have a heart, eat with the family Long, leisurely meals à la francaise may have a hidden health benefit, reports Le Nouvel Observateur. The French have 30 percent fewer cases of heart disease than Americans despite the fact they eat more fat. The reason may be because people here tend to eat in a more relaxed fashion with the family or in gatherings of friends, says Le Nouvel Observateur. As part of a package focusing on healthy eating habits, the magazine quotes American medical researcher Dean Ornish, who says the more leisurely eating style is likely to reduce stress, a major contributing factor to heart disease. Americans are more likely to gobble their food quickly and less likely to eat together as a family, he says. The best team in town France's national news dailies are being outscored by the sporting competition, according to a recent readership survey. Quick, what national daily paper draws more readers in France than any other? Hint: think soccer. Answer: L'Equipe. The sports journal, boosted by interest in last year's World Cup championship, saw its average estimated readership climb to 2.5 million people in 1998, according to a recent survey by Ipsos. By contrast, the survey showed overall average readership of generalist national dailies declined in the past year. Le Monde headed the list with an estimated two million readers, followed closely by Le Parisien (1.98 million), Le Figaro (1.38 million) and Libération (954,000). While national papers suffered, the survey showed regional papers did better, with Ouest France chalking up an estimated 2.2 million readers, more than any of the generalist national newspapers. One in two people in France read a daily paper, leaving the country ranked 22nd in the world for newspaper readership. |
