No Smoking

[Warrior]

Sra. Elena Salgado, the Spanish Health Minister and Non-Smoker, has decreed that as from June this year no smoking will be allowed in Restaurants and Bars anywhere in Spain. She has dismissed all estimates from tourism and business representatives of the numbers of establishments that will inevitably close down putting countless thousands out of work, and yet has given no estimate of her own of the livelihoods that her draconian law will destroy.
I would have thought that what we have at the moment, whereby everyone has the choice either to go to an establishment where you can smoke or one where you can’t, is the ideal situation but you know what politicians are – they know what’s best for everyone – don’t they?
I honestly can’t see the Spanish population taking it lying down, particularly at this time of high unemployment – can you?

[Bob Pallas]

Do not dispare! Everyone in the UK thought the same! No Smoking has been in some time now and the slump that it was meant to bring never has materialised.

[Warrior]

I'm not so sure Bob, they say that Pubs & Restaurants in the UK are still closing at between 40 & 50 a week.

[stevey c]

where i live in england pubs are closing ding dong got be down to the smokin ban family pubs keep goin big chains cheep grub ya so called workin mans pub dead

[bill & cath]

Same here in manchester,pubs closing down all over ,and this is mainly due to the smoking ban.

[golfer2536]

Sorry Bob, don't know where you come from but every where else is going downhill. The working mans clubs in the east-end on London are closing rapidly. I can think of at least 10 public house that have closed in part to the smoking ban. Unlike Spain and France we do not have the climate to site out side cafes and pubs, so people stay in doors and buy from the supermarket. If the Spanish government impose the law to the letter with big fines and closures, watch the Tourists and holiday makers disappear. The unemployed lines will get even longer.

[stevey c]

i live in cheshire in rural semi rural villages you can drive through and pass three or four pubs all boarded up and you think not another one gone had a nice meal there once i agree that they should be able to say yes you can smoke in here and no you cant in here customers choice then isnt it instead of a wall to wall ban countrywide like it is now

[Lloyd]

About time that Spain made an entry into the 21st century and started thinking about the majority who don't smoke and not those who smell of stale tobacoo and contaminate others with that vile smelling odour and the increased potential for health problems.

[webby]

About time that Spain made an entry into the 21st century and started thinking about the majority who don't smoke and not those who smell of stale tobacoo and contaminate others with that vile smelling odour and the increased potential for health problems.

21st Century, more like 1984. This is just the sort of attitude that so many of us came to Spain to get away from. "I don't like smoking so none of you can do it!"
It may have escaped your notice that a great many ex-pats and Spaniards like to smoke. Why does there have to be complete ban. Let's have some bars/restaurants where you can smoke and some not and let's see which ones thrive. A little more tolerance would be nice. Rant Over.

[G Hurrell]

I live in the UK but was in Spain when the partial smoking ban was introduced in Spain.One of the local bar/restaurants had introduced the ban at midnight on the day allocated. The following lunchtime i went to this bar only to see two police motorcycles and a police car outside.I thought there must be some sort of trouble in the bar (possibly related to the smoking ban) when i entered the bar to my amazement sat at the bar were 4 policemen (two of them guardia) sitting drinking coffee and brandy smoking large cigars! So i wonder if this ban will really work.