Smoking ban

Norway is the latest country to ban smoking from all indoor public places. Outdoor smoking is still allowed, but on the Arctic island of Svalbard in the very far north of Norway, the even summer temperatures rarely rise above freezing. From there, Lars Bevanger reports.

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The smoking ban exists to protect people at work, and the bars up here are no exception. It is summer here but, being only some one-thousand kilometres south of the North Pole, this place remains freezing. To add insult to injury, this whole island is a duty-free zone and cigarettes cost a fraction of the heavily-taxed tobacco in the rest of Norway. But come the Scandinavian winter, all of Norway's smokers will face the same dilemma: break the law, freeze your fingers off, or simply quit.

Listen to the words

the North Pole
the place on the earth which is the furthest north

northernmost
the furthest north

indulge
if you indulge in something, you allow yourself to enjoy it

brave
if you confront a difficult situation, you brave it

polar-bear
a large white bear which lives near the North Pole

nicotine rush
the sudden strong effects of the nicotine in cigarettes

To add insult to injury
To make an unpleasant situation even worse

duty-free zone
An area where there are no taxes on goods

dilemma
difficult choice

break the law
disobey the law

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