bermudaby

Can anyone tell me how strictly the smoking ban is being enforced (if at all)?

poollounger

Wandering around Seville with Spanish friends they pointed out a couple of places that were having building work to modify the premises to comply with the regs. I believe if you are a certain size then you can have a smoking room. One place I went into was like a peasouper. The others were smoke free.

Casa Santo Estevo

We run a casa rural here in Galicia. The (anti) smoking laws are quite complicated to say least. Whilst we have the obligatory sign up say that we allow smoking it has never been checked by anyone of authority. We enforce the rule that they don’t smoke in the bedrooms, which our visitors (mainly Spanish) understand.
To note Irene smokes so we go into the local tobacco shop. On the door is a notice that you are NOT allowed to smoke in the shop.
If you was more specific as to why you are asking the question then perhaps we could answer it in a more definite way.
Ian and Irene

bermudaby

We are planning to move down to Spain (Javea) this year. One of the main reasons we haven't done it before is the intolerable level of smoke/smoking in restaurants, etc. Sadly, I've seen too many of my family die from smoking-related diseases and it's a painful, undignified way to go. I was hoping that Spain might have politicians who put peoples health before votes! A lot to hope for I know!!!!

hedgehog

Hi I lived in Spain for many years, neither I nor my husband smoke. We made many friends mostly Spanish who own bars / restaurants. On returning this year after the law was to be enforced we noticed that everyone was still smoking in bars / restaurants etc. Our Spanish friends told us that as long as you have a sign up saying this is a smoking establishment then nothing has to change. They also said that if your restaurant has to be a certain square metre floor coverage you can then partician an area off for non smokers. All in all I found no difference just as many if not more people smoking. Apparantly Spain has the highest rate of smokers in the world. The good news is you can sit outside a lot of the year.

big wheels

I haven't noticed any difference at all apart from the new notices in bars/restaurants etc informing clients that they are allowed to smoke.

BW

jdr

I read in one of the papers when it first started someone had been fined 700€.
Around here most of the bars are still the same, it depends on size, Wot size ?

Casa Santo Estevo

JDR,
As we said in tour original posting the law is quite complicated and to be honest we would not be bothered by it unless we ran an establishment that is affected by the regulations. There are things like having a large enough room means you have to divide the room into smoking and non-smoking, you have to have forced ventilation in certain circumstances too.
If you really want to know all of the ins and outs then here are a few links.
Smoking law 1
Smoking law 2


Ian And Irene

Chiclanagir

I have actually found it better. Okay you still get the smoking ventas but I have also been in quite a few restaurants where it is no smoking and as for Malaga airport a vast improvement. I can remember being there last summer and it was intolerable even though you weren´t supposed to smoke everybody ignored it but now it´s great. Not the parking though!

jdr

Dont worry the parking will be sorted in about 7 years, just in time for the next change round

spanish_mik

I personally don't smoke but atleast with the law the way it is now noting that bars have to point out if you are allowed to smoke or not inside, gives you the option to go in or walk away to another bar! Plain English but in Spanish!

Michael

Bobbydog

Hi,
I live in Catalunia and the No Smoking Ban is not affecting us, up here you do as you like, in the Irish Bar if you stand at the Bar you cant smoke if you sit at a table ( inside or out ) you can smoke, my Local Bar ( the Owner ) Maria smokes behind the Bar, the Police come in for Coffee and do not bother as they also smoke and they serve meals in the Bar.
So it has not affected us on the Costa Brava ( Gods Country ) as much as some places.
Smoke on

Amara

Down here in Costa de la Luz it is a mixture, the airport at Jerez has no smoking anywhere, neither does the Irish Pub in El Puerto de Santa Maria, which is great when it is packed for the football - having said that I have nearly started again a few times in the last couple of weeks watching England play - . Some of the more traditional Spanish ventas still allow smoking indoors, but like someone else said you can sit outside most of the time. Most of the more up market restaurants here are now strictly non smoking, thank goodness.

Bobbydog

Hi Ya,
Some of the restaurants here you can smoke in Etc, Chinese,Argentinian,Tapas Bars, Indian, Catalan but there is no hard and fast rule here, it is more relaxed.
Some of the restaurants have the premises split into 2 areas , One for smoking and One for no smoking, this is only the choice of the management.
come from Edinburgh and i was reading the report for Scotland which is a joke, E.G. If you are a Farmer driving your Tractor up and down the field while working you can not smoke, this is taking the rules to a stupid extreme i prefer the Spanish way it is left up to the people themselves and may it always be like that.
Nothing like a Fag and a Pint