Wednesday, 31 July 2013 - 04:30
VPRO Fined For Smoking Teeuwen
The VPRO is fined for the cigarette that stand up comedian Hans Teeuwen, lit during the first broadcast of Zomergasten. The set is seen as a workplace and that means it is a non-smoking area. But what about smoking on a film set?
Smoking at the workplace has been banned since 2004. That Teeuwen casually lit a cigarette on the set of the talk show, will now have to paid by the VPRO.
But in films sometimes people also smoked, is that then allowed? No, that’s forbidden too, explains Stivoro, the organization that gives information about smoking and health risks. “Formally smoking is banned at work. So an actor on the set can not smoke, since he is working,” according to the law.
Rules unclear
Remarkably, the the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), who will fine the VPRO, currently can not tell anybody the exact rules for the smoking policy on film sets.
The question is if there are actually cigarettes being smoked at film sets. There are alternatives that can circumvent the smoking ban such as the tobacco and nicotine free herbal cigarettes and electric cigarettes.
If you wonder if that beer on the table of De Wereld Draait Door or at Pauw and Witteman is illegal then the answer is no. Consuming an alcoholic beverage during working hours is in fact not prohibited by law.