Smoking ban in Spain from 2nd January 2011.

[BGD]

Just a quick heads-up for any of you lot planning to visit Spain from now on.

 

The controversial PSOE (socialist government) anti-smoking law was approved here yesterday by the Senate, which was the final hurdle before enactment.

The attempts by the PP (sort of Conservative party) to water it down by allowing bar owners to decide to ban or not, or to provide partitioned off indoor smoking areas, was defeated.

 

 

 

It rambles on a bit about what is defined as premises etc, but in essence says:

 

From 2nd January 2011 smoking is banned from every bar, restaurant, shop, office, public building, etc throughout Spain.

 

Hotels will be allowed to allocate up to 30% of their rooms for smoking, but smoking is banned from all communal areas in hotels.

 

Individual fine: up to €30 on fist offence conviction.

Possible fines on establishments who fail to enforce the ban: up to €10,000; and up to €600,000 for repeat "grave" flouting of the ban.

 

 

 

So, this new anti-smoking law that has finally got through is at the very top end of the expected severity range.

 

According to the Health Minister, the law does not allow any "easing in period" at all; it's blanket ban from 2nd January. But commentators are already saying that such a sweeping. draconian change is impossible to achieve within 11 days......with something around 34% of Spanish adults being smokers.

 

 

 

 

Needless to say however, the reactions to this new law across Spain vary enormously!!

Out in the other semi-autonomous regions (outside of Madrid, which is where the central "federal" government sits), a lot of people are already saying they'll totally ignore it, as Madrid knows nothing of and cares nothing for the economic crisis facing them and their bar/restaurant businesses.

Also enforcement will be down to the Policia Local in each town, who are managed by their Town Hall.....and the Mayor/Councillors/local police in many towns are NOT going to be popular at all if they start fining the locals for smoking in their little local bars.

 

 

 

I suspect that in practice nothing will happen overnight in private premises but all government/public buildings will go no-smoking from 2nd Jan.

Probably through the course of 2011 gradually fewer and fewer bars will allow smoking, until there are only a hard core of little local bars in villages that still allow it - and the local Police in those areas just turn a blind eye as they go in there and smoke when on or off duty anyway.

 

 

 

Pundits reckon it is a double-edged sword: in just the same way as it is in the UK:

 

Great news for non-smokers in one short term sense; but if the estimates are correct and 10% of Spanish smokers give up in the next 12 months, it'll leave a MASSIVE hole in Spanish tax revenues......when the Govt needs taxes like never before to pay for Social Security benefits.

 

 

 

 

Apparently it's also gonna cost the Spanish NHS and Pensions systems a fortune in the decades to come because of a double-whammy (just like the UK too):

 

1. Fewer smokers means lower tax revenue from cigarette sales. Other taxes will have to rise in the short term and long term to make up the gap.

 

2. Fewer smokers means more people living longer, and thus costing the NHS much more money (apparently smokers cost the NHS system and other taxpayers far less over their whole lifetime: they pay more in, they die sooner and relatively "promptly" so draw less pension, and early cancer death is apparently a lot cheaper for the NHS than someone lingering on into their 80's, 90's etc with a host of other ongoing aliments, new hips, constant prescriptions, etc, often in and out off hospitals and also in residential care). 80% of total NHS spending is at the moment going just on the over 60's, and that age group is gonna be the one that grows substantially if lots of people stop smoking.

General/other taxes will have to rise A LOT in the long term to pay for the additional pension payment periods, and the ongoing NHS and residential care, according to economists.

 

 

 

 

 

 

But then, it's generally a lot warmer down here, so somewhat easier I suspect for people to go outside for their fix anyway................

 

 

 

 

[Porky]

Thanks Bruce. I also think the villages (we used to have a property in one) will carry on as before. For me it is a good move and I hope eventually smoking will be almost wiped out. Although I suspect the producers will produce a completely "safe" range. Yeh right.

I hope we will be able to catch up with one of your gigs in Feb/March.

 

Roy Fuller

[pkc]

Bring it on!

I would have thought you would have been performing cartwheels over this, after all, playing sax in that sort of atmosphere can not be healthy, think Roy Castle.

It was a culture shock after drinking in bars in the UK to walk into a club in Spain to find I needed a gas mask

[malc d]

Bruce

 

To avoid the local police getting unpopular, is it likely that they will use the Guardia Civil to do a bit of local 'cracking down' so people get the message ?

 

I believe that the GC are responsible for 'counter drug ' operations so that could be their reasoning.

 

 

 

[sshortcircuit]

Well its good to see the Dutch have lifted the ban on small pubs, up to 70sqm. Rather than allow an area for smokers our government came out with a total ban that have seen many pubs go to the wall. No doubt Spain will see the same closures.

[antony1969]

Im not sure but think a similar ban is allready in place in Greece ( my info coming from greek bar owner ) and nobody pays any attention to it at all , certainly the parts where we go

[robertandjean]

Would have thought smoking bans anywhere would be welcomed by the vast majority who want to enjoy a meal or drink without foul smoke being blown into one's face. Certainly much better her in, cold, drab West Yorks, when out for a meal as it is in France, where surprisingly, perhaps, the ban is respected and again the result is a much better environment. So well done the progressive Spanish government.

[BGD]

robertandjean - 2010-12-22 8:14 PM

 

Would have thought smoking bans anywhere would be welcomed by the vast majority who want to enjoy a meal or drink without foul smoke being blown into one's face.

 

 

 

 

I'm sure a lot of people feel that way - but those people seemingly don't represent the vast majority here in Spain.

 

 

 

 

There are also a lot of people now waking up to the reality that their own taxes are going to go up A LOT in the coming years, to pay for both the reduction in tobacco tax revenues, and the enormous extra NHS, pension and Social Security care costs of many more people living much longer in old age because they've given up smoking.

 

Every silver lining has a cloud..............

 

 

 

[mondo]

A couple of the local Spanish bars I frequent over here in Tenerife (and by local Spanish bars I don't mean the ones run by ex pat Brits although they are nice) the owners have said.. No you can still smoke in here as that ban is for Spain not for us in the Canaries..we are different..Not that I'm a smoker meself..but after years of doing discos in pubs and upstairs rooms in boozers and clubs and coming home smelling like a well used ashtray I can't say I'm upset..Lets just see if it works

 

I know of certain boozers in my home town of Halifax that when the doors close..they crack out the ashtrays and they all have a smoke!!

 

Ces't la Vie