Over the weekend, the madeira 4u blog team extensively researched the impact of the UK smoking ban in public places on the smokers themselves. Again, we needed to blend in, in order to put people at ease in the several venues we visited, which involved indulging in yet more beer (prices ranged from €2.50 to €4.50 a pint). The line of questioning, included ‘have you given up or intend to give up smoking?’, ‘if you are still a smoker and pub user, how has the ban affected you?’
The results were surprising, and pretty consistent with all interviewed:
1. No one had given up (well OK, only one).
2. Once the initial shock had passed, pub life had got back to normal, the usual pubs and frequency/duration of visits had resumed, though of course we were unable to speak to those who had given up going to pubs as a result of the ban.
3. Pubsters were smoking less cigarettes per pub visit, and were generally well pleased with that.
4. The outside smoking requirement was actually quite popular, despite of the cold or bad weather, and had started a new ‘outcast’ social scene, where people who didn’t know each other would spark up a conversation as well as a cigarette.
MADEIRA NEWS
Source : Diário de Notícias 27/11/2007
For those of you lucky enough to have a proper job, Salaries should increase 3.5% in Portugal in the near year.
The average salaries should increase 3.5 percent in Portugal in 2008, slightly above the average wage increase estimated for the Western Europe Western (3.4 percent), according to a report by the consultants Mercer.
The predicted wage increase is above Italy and United Kingdom (3.1 percent), France and Holland (3 percent) and of Germany (2.7 percent).
Allowing for the rate of inflation, the real value of the wage increased is 1.2 percent in Portugal, France and Italy. In Germany and the United Kingdom arise this will be in the order of 1.1%.
