Gets In Your Eyes: Not from January (the smoking ban)

In the lead up to national no-smoking week in Spain, a survey - reported on in yesterday's "Diario" - finds that 70% of Spaniards support a ban on smoking in bars, restaurants and the like and that a third would be more likely to go to bars once a ban is in place.

There has been much confusion and misinformation regarding the precise implementation of the smoking ban and when it will come into effect. To reiterate ... it will cover enclosed public places, such as bars, which does, however, still raise some question as to what is or isn't enclosed. But be that as it may. Spanish law is rarely clear. There are moves already, though, for some exemptions. Hotels are likely to be able to maintain a percentage of rooms as smoking; 30% is the figure being bandied about. I guess if people want to smoke in their rooms, then this should be up to them, but the hotel exemption does smack a bit of the hoteliers exerting pressure if they are fearful of loss of revenue. And if this is the reason, then it does rather undermine the logic of the ban elsewhere. The government, and others, have been at pains to say that revenue will not be harmed; quite the contrary in fact.

The timing of the ban is becoming clearer. A week ago the health minister made a pretty unequivocal statement that it would come into effect on 1 January next year. This has long seemed to be the logical starting-point, assuming they don't change their minds. The regional health ministers are due to be consulted in June, the law would be brought before parliament in the autumn and, bingo, you have your ban. Talk of it coming in much earlier has never sounded realistic.

But when it comes in, and it will, how smoothly might it be implemented? Recently I have been into different bars and wondered how on earth they will do it. Take somewhere like Cultural in Puerto Pollensa. If you were an airplane, you would have been grounded and not allowed anywhere near its airspace; the interior is its own ash cloud. It's hardly unique. There are also some bar owners who, believing themselves to be, er, "well in" with certain authorities, which they may or may not be, are suggesting that they will ignore any ban. Let's see, shall we. Though how comprehensive the checking and how well-staffed the smoking plod might be is anyone's guess. At a time of public-sector cuts, this is unlikely to be a growth area in employment. Which will probably mean a spate of Jose Public dobbing in a bar to plod. Or, more likely, a rival bar doing the dobbing in.

The irony of the ban in bars will be that they will still be able to have cigarette machines. Or maybe it isn't so ironic. Terrace life will be unaffected, unless terraces are somehow deemed to be enclosed. Anticipate any amount of confusion about this, added to which are the legitimate worries of night bars where the noise plod wait for the stroke of midnight to go and hound anyone talking above a whisper on a terrace while having a smoke.


Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.