"we have to remove ashtrays, but honestly, if we find customers smoking, we can't do much as business has already been very bad. we can't stop them smoking and drive them out of there. we won't do anything. we don't want to annoy smoking customers, especially those drunken ones, who might react very unexpectedly."
- chin chun-wing, vice-chairman of the bar and club association, a group which represents about 200 bars in the city speaks to the south china morning post (28 june 2009)
despite much uproar by the entertainment/f&b industries earlier this year, the hong kong government decided to proceed with its complete ban of indoor smoking on 1 july after a two year grace period. the press have documented many cases where this new law has been blatantly ignored - and was stunned out of my seat when i personally discovered that g bar in ifc was one such establishment. upon inquiry to the manager, i was politely informed that g bar's vips are indeed permitted the indulgence (the guy in the background of the second photograph is smoking a cigar) and perhaps if i was uncomfortable i could sit outside (on the public property terrace). SERIOUSLY??!!
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