thoughts regarding wine and cigarettes

I have perhaps caused a bit of confusion with a previous post: I mentioned that I had bought some wine and was, in fact, drinking it. I enjoy white wine, and it's useful for when you want to make your simple meal of bread, fruit, and cheese seem more Parisian. There is a lot of wine around Europe in general, and there is actually no legal drinking age in France. One might assume this makes for lots of drunken youths staggering around the streets but that is absolutely not the case; French kids are far less likely to overindulge because it's usually a part of a normal meal, or a sole drink while at a cafe or something. Anyway, I love that I can get a decent bottle of wine to bring to a get-together for about $3 - I guess it's a cultural difference, but it's not a huge one and I like it.


Smoking, on the other hand, is one of the more tiresome aspects of French culture. SO many people smoke here, and although it doesn't bother me that they do it, per se, it's just sort of annoying to always get smoke blown in my face while I'm walking down the street. Starting the beginning of this year, a new law was passed prohibiting smoking in public buildings. While I haven't heard much complaining (aside from a couple of AUP kids who dislike having to take their between-classes cigarette outside) it does force smokers into the streets a whole lot more. Now everywhere I go there are people standing outside their offices or whatever taking smoke breaks. I'm indifferent towards this, but I thought some might like to know how that law has been working out.