La cigarette

Bridget prends une cigarette...

So I was initially going to do the history of gymnastics in France because I am a former gymnast.  Watching the Olympics this year, out of  nowhere a  Frenchman took the bronze in the men’s all-around. French aren’t known for their gymnastics, but I was interested nonetheless.  However, I was steered off track to an more integral part of French culture:  the cigarette, (which is a French word by the way).  I am asthmatic and literally cannot even stand the smell of smoke, so I began to look around to see how bad the smoking would be.

Supposedly, the average age to begin smoking is the age of 12.  39% of men and 27% of women smoke in France.  More than 40% of young adults also smoke.  But beginning in February of 2007, smoking has been banned in all public places.  This was a little shocking seeing that smoking is literally a way of life for the French. But awareness has been growing in France on the health risks.  A European study concluded that French men have the highest cancer rate in all of  Europe.  In the fall of 2003, the government raised the price of cigarettes by 20%.  Although cigarettes sales went down, purchases of pouch tobacco and rolling papers went up.  Even more so, the number of young smokers has increased.  

The ban has began to hit cafes and bars across the nation.    Some fear it is the death of French culture and will take away the morning ritual of having a coffee and cigarette while reading the paper.  About 12 million French people are smokers and more than70, 000 die each year from smoking -related illnesses and second-hand smoke.  Interestingly enough, the French have their own museum dedicated to the art that is smoking, Le Musee du Fumeur.  It is a free and permanent exhibit of smoking tools from different places around the globe from all different times.  

The campaign  has even hit film. The opening scene of Paris Je T’aime featured a woman fainting on Monmatre Street.  She fainted because she had just quit smoking and was on her way to meet her tabacolongue, the doctor who is trying to help her quit. The French see smoking as sexy and if you do not smoke then you are obviously NOT with it. Let's hope one does not have to take up smoking in order to acquire French friends. In any case, I have my inhaler;)