First published: March 15, 2010
Source: World Radio Switzerland
A restaurant owner in St Gallen has had his license taken away after repeatedly not obeying the smoking ban there.
Police have caught people smoking in the St Gallen establishment on five occasions since October 2008 when the smoking ban came into force in the canton.
On each occasion the smokers were fined.
The owner provided customers with ashtrays, but he did warn them that they smoked at their own risk and that they could be fined.
In court, the restaurant owner said the smoking ban was aimed at customers, not owners and that he was not there to police his restaurant.
The Federal Supreme Court rejected these arguments and upheld the decision to confiscate his license.