Smoking: Spanish ban gets tough
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Part two of our mini-series on smoking takes us to sunny Spain. Once a haven for smokers, Spain seems ready to follow its European neighbours and ban smoking altogether. Network Europe investigates whether this ‘smoker’s paradise’ is ready to make the transition.
In 2006, Spain - one of Western Europe’s last bastions for those who love to light up - banned smoking in offices, public buildings and on public transport. It allowed bars and restaurants less than 100 sq metres in size - which make up about 80% of all such establishments - to make their own decision on whether to ban smoking, while larger venues were forced to have a separate designated smoking area. But unlike countries such as Ireland and France, prohibition has never really been taken seriously.
Now, with EU pressure mounting, the Spanish government seems intent on pushing through a total ban on smoking in all enclosed areas by June. But with the economy battling a deep recession many wonder if this is the right time to alienate smoking customers.
Speaking to Spanish newspaper El País, Jose Luis Guerra an official with Spain's Caterers' Federation said: "A prohibition like this will have its biggest effect on bars, especially the small ones, where we expect business to drop by 10 per cent."
A poll carried out by British Independent on Sunday espoused similar views with nine out of ten pub landlords opposed to the ban.
However, advocates point to the country’s worrying health statistics. Spain suffers 50,000 smoking related deaths per year, as well as 1,400 deaths directly linked to passive smoking.
Health Minister Trinidad Jimenez claims that 70% of all Spaniards back the ban although the reliability of these figures have been called into question by smoking advocacy groups, while an El País survey put the figure at a 56% support rate.
For now, the government is happy for the debate to remain high on the public agenda, as it attempts to bring Spain’s smoking culture in line with the rest of Europe.
