My understanding is that the Spanish no smoking laws that I am aware of came into effect on the 1 January 2006. Has there been any ammendments since then?

As far as I am aware, the law that came into effect in 2006 was not a complete ban on smoking.  It was a law whereby restaurants, bars, etc themselves had to choose whether or not to allow smoking on their premises - those allowing smoking had to equip the premises with air con or something similar to circulate the air and remove cigarette smoke.  I?m not an expert on these laws by the way!! I just know as my father in law owns a restaurant!  There was a complete ban supposed to be coming into effect this year - however it?s been set back as a lot of businesses just paid out a few years ago to fit the equipment to remove smoke, etc, which obviously cost them a lot of money and would no longer be needed with a smoking ban.

I read somewhere that there will be a full smoking ban as from April of this year. Even the restaurants that accommodate smoking now will have to be a non smoking zones, pretty much the same as the UK.

Fruity

Ive heard several dates, from march to july. It will happen this year, its just were in spain so who knows.

Well there is a marketing plot if I ever saw one! LOL

Are you trying to drive traffic to a stop smoking website by any chance?

In my opinion it’s the biggest stupidity i have seen by the Spanish government in a long time “NOT”

First they make all the restaurants and bars spend a heap of money transforming their bars and restaurants to smoking and non smoking areas, and 4 years later they say sorry guys for spending thousands of euros on your restaurants and bars but were banning smoking in all public areas, but this is not the best, they want to lift the ban on selling tobacco in kiosks?

I kind of agree with Olidenia except that at least in madrid the only 2 companies that actually did this were El Corte Ingles and Vips. Im personally looking forward to this smoking ban, just hope it arives soon. Most of my friends own bars and I would like to go and have a coffee without stinking of smoke afterwards….yes I am an ex smoker.

I wonder what all the people who are against a ban would think if hotels suddenly provided ‘Peeing areas’ in their pools.  Not nice to think about is it?  Well smoking is exactly that, something you cannot do witout affecting others, and what gives any one the right to spoil another persons enjoyment of a meal they have paid for, to make eyes water and clothes and hair smell.  The law as it currently stands in Spain is largely ignored.  Children are banned from bars where smoking is permitted, yet these bars are full of families with young children and often tiny babies.  The over 100 sq. metres rule is ignored too,  and I have walked out of many shops because people, (often staff) are smoking. After a promising start in 2006, eating out in Spain has once again become mostly unpleasant due to the chokeing smoky atmosphere.  Why should 25% be allowed to dictate the lives of the other 75%.  I thought after Franco, Spain had become a democracy - not so! Perhaps the health minister is a smoker!

laurainspain - 09 February 2010 12:13 AM

As far as I am aware, the law that came into effect in 2006 was not a complete ban on smoking.  It was a law whereby restaurants, bars, etc themselves had to choose whether or not to allow smoking on their premises - those allowing smoking had to equip the premises with air con or something similar to circulate the air and remove cigarette smoke.  I?m not an expert on these laws by the way!! I just know as my father in law owns a restaurant!  There was a complete ban supposed to be coming into effect this year - however it?s been set back as a lot of businesses just paid out a few years ago to fit the equipment to remove smoke, etc, which obviously cost them a lot of money and would no longer be needed with a smoking ban.

They install a room with equipment to remove smoke and then leave the doors wide open so as not to hinder the waiters passage.
‘Lip service’ to the rules is the Spanish way.  Time for Europe to enforce the smoking ban in every member country.

Since Spain is a somewhat decentralised country, a few sovereign communities, such as Madrid, Valencia, La Rioja, and Balearic Islands, have started an official but implicit boycott of the Law, approved in the Spanish Parliament by unanimity. These communities are also using the courts to even make the law lighter, something impossible as the smoking ban law is a Spanish Basic Law that cannot be modified by local or sovereign governments.

As a smoker i like the idea of having pubs where smokers can go too! I don’t blame anyone for not wanting to go
to a pub because of smoke but that doesn’t mean we don’t need our space too.

Smoking gets a bad rap and i know why but don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. A lot of musicians are smokers. I’m one of ‘em.

It’s a slippery slope, this smoking ban. You think it’s a good idea at first then you find that it leaves room open for even more
legal limitation of your liberties. As an American i see this in the States very strongly now. If America was a land of liberty in the past it ain’t no more. People have gotten too uptight here i think. “White, Uptight and Outa sight!” as they say. I think it’s kind of a bad idea to think that everywhere needs to be controlled and made “safe” by the standards of
just a few. There are imperfect people(if you can define it)everywhere and they need to have a place too.

Yes, smoking is linked with some health hazards but the second hand smoke baloney is just that. It’s my opinion that second hand smoke is not a killer by any means. And if everyone should be held to a higher standard of health by a legal system then maybe next we can write laws to ban alcohol because it’s not as healthy as orange juice? Gee, that would be a fun pub!

It’s a slippery slope is all i’m saying. I just wanted to jump in here because there are some rather nice aspects to smoking that aren’t talked about mostly because one can sound anachronistic in doing so. Or in the case of America now you may get stoned by a mob. My wife and i love our Sunday coffee and cigarettes. Nobody lives forever. Balance. I came back to the U.S(soon to be back in Spain with my Polish wife)partly to see America after 9-11 and i am shocked to see the control that has creeped in. Please be careful of taking away liberties, once gone they are gone. Once you think you should make laws that outlaw imperfection(witch is undefinable)then you are outlawing humans.

Leave room for imperfection because without it you have nothing but laws and codes at every turn. Keep Spain human. Keep Spain balanced. Leave room for smokers.

I guess in other words; Quit making laws that take away liberties. The next ones could be yours and usually are. Keep smoking legal in some establishments if the owners want it and you can go to your smokeless bland houses and order your apple-tini and listen to all the Brittany Spears you want, you Nancy! I want liberties over legalities because i would rather have imperfection than legal control in my life! Get outta my way!!! Quit being such a spoil sport!

If you want to see a culture badgered by legal constraints come visit the place that now has the Department of Homeland Security to deal with. It’s getting bad here you guys. Send help. And quit making laws that limit humans.

It’s a slippery slope. Be careful.

Good luck Spain!
Blue7

Blue I wonder what all the people who are against a ban would think if hotels suddenly provided ?Peeing areas? in their pools.  Not nice to think about is it?  Well smoking is exactly that, something you cannot do witout affecting others, and what gives any one the right to spoil another persons enjoyment of a meal they have paid for, to make eyes water and clothes and hair smell. , I am glad yu enjoy your ciggies and coffee, long may you.  But please not at the expense of the comfort of others I take issue with your comment about the few inflicting their rules on the rest of society - we non smokers are by far the majority,  (70/30 )so at the moment it is minority rule and that just can’t be right. I have no wish to stop anyone from smoking, I just don’t want to smell like them, or cough like them or have the same dry cleaning bills as them. OK

Fair enough Waterdog, I understand and support your desire to not be around smoke. Of course that’s just as fine as anything.
But leave me and my friends alone.

It’s simple: Make 30% of all establishments smoker friendly and you can have the other 70%. No problem. Unfortunately you will
probably want to come to our 30% because we have more fun.(take a joke)

And from what i have experienced, every pool has pee everywhere already. Enjoy your swim!!! Quit trying to control everything because it’s impossible.

Keep humanity first. Keep lawmaking second. Swim in peeeeeee!!!!!!!.............

I personally can’t wait for a proper smoking ban to come into effect.  However that does not mean I support the law as it has been described to me.  I agree with a previous poster that we must always be careful that new laws do not easily begin a trend towards limitations on our liberties. 

My solution is as follows, don’t create any new laws regarding smoking.  However given that it has been proven second hand smoke is harmful and at the very least discomforting to those around it, simply declare smoking around (within x meters) any non consenting individual assault.  This way people would not be able to smoke around children (they can never consent) or virtually anywhere public if other people are around without being charged. 

Smokers do not have the right in my opinion to damage my health, smell up my clothes, or tell me where to eat drink etc.  I don’t propose I have the right to tell them what to do either, they can smoke all they want as long as it does not in any way infringe on my right to breath fresh air.

Tek_Gremlin - 17 November 2010 09:37 PM

I personally can’t wait for a proper smoking ban to come into effect.  However that does not mean I support the law as it has been described to me.  I agree with a previous poster that we must always be careful that new laws do not easily begin a trend towards limitations on our liberties. 

My solution is as follows, don’t create any new laws regarding smoking.  However given that it has been proven second hand smoke is harmful and at the very least discomforting to those around it, simply declare smoking around (within x meters) any non consenting individual assault.  This way people would not be able to smoke around children (they can never consent) or virtually anywhere public if other people are around without being charged. 

Smokers do not have the right in my opinion to damage my health, smell up my clothes, or tell me where to eat drink etc.  I don’t propose I have the right to tell them what to do either, they can smoke all they want as long as it does not in any way infringe on my right to breath fresh air.

I have to agree with you Tek. The damage to health as well as the laundry bill is just not necessary. I believe the full ban will be effected in the new year so we’ll have to wait and see how it pans out but I’m not holding my breath, that is unless you’re a smoker. That’s a joke btw.