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Smoking ban across Spain sparks criticism as hospitality industry fights back
Hospitality sector in uproar over terrace smoking ban amid government push for tougher tobacco laws
Spain’s hottest hospitality voices are strongly opposing the latest anti-smoking law draft passed by the Council of Ministers on Tuesday, which extends the smoking ban to outdoor terraces; a move that restaurant and bar owners fear will hurt business and tourism. The new regulations also bring electronic cigarettes and disposable vapes under the same restrictive umbrella for the first time, alongside expanded smoke-free zones including university campuses and sports venues.José María Rubiales, president of Cafés-Bars in Murcia’s hospitality federation, did not mince words, saying this law “seriously harms us” and lamenting that it was approved without consulting the sector. Unlike the earlier indoor smoking bans introduced in 2006 and 2010, Rubiales claims that this decree “is not based on any objective health data.”
He argues that outdoor terraces in Spain, many with excellent ventilation, have not posed a real problem, with only 2.63% of EU citizens identifying outdoor terrace smoking as an issue, according to a European survey he cited. The constant uncertainty about terrace smoking regulations is already putting off customers, he warns, and the added pressure to enforce the ban is “turning us into police officers,” which “does not do us any favours.”
The wider hospitality industry shares these concerns. Hostelería de España described the terrace smoking ban as “disproportionate” and likely to cause “very limited effectiveness,” fearing smokers will just gather on the periphery of terraces and be “disorderly,” causing litter, environmental and neighbourly problems.
They also worry Spain will become a European oddity, with only Sweden maintaining a similar total ban on terraces. This could tarnish the country’s image as a top tourist destination, hitting an industry that welcomes over 94 million visitors expected this year. The trade organisation also highlighted a recent survey showing most Spaniards prefer awareness campaigns to bans and do not see terrace smoking restrictions as urgent.
Menorca’s hospitality association echoed this, pointing out that a good balance currently exists between smokers and non-smokers on terraces. And in Seville, they stressed that owners should not be burdened with policing customers, especially foreign tourists who may unknowingly break rules, as “a hospitality owner is not a police officer.”
On the other side of the debate, medical professionals have welcomed the tougher controls. Pulmonologist Olga Meca Birlanga, based in southern Spain, emphasised that the law protects non-smokers from second-hand exposure and addresses the dangers posed by vaping, which she highlighted as a gateway to tobacco among young people. She calls the new restrictions “another step forward” though a complete ban and plain packaging would be ideal.
As this law moves toward parliamentary debate, Spain seems poised to take one of its boldest punches against smoking yet - but the hospitality sector’s unease signals a tense road ahead.
Image: Pexels/Pixabay
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