Over the past summer the German state of Lower Saxony, or Niedersachsen as we like to call it around here, imposed one of Germany’s first smoking bans in restaurants and pubs. If you have never been to Germany, you should know that many Germans like to smoke. A lot. It is a bit contradictory that one of the most health conscience nations in Europe is also home to so many smokers. I could back that statement up with some cold hard statistics but I am not a journalist so I don’t have to. Besides, I tried and failed. Just trust me on this. Ask someone who has been to Germany.
Anyway, it should come as no surprise that Germans, know for their ingenuity and problem solving, have come up with a fitting solution to the smoking ban. What looks like a cross between a pillory and a glory hole is a very interesting way of getting around the smoking ban: