http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12104056

I wonder if the 10% drop in business is taking into account people like me who will return to the new, cleaner bars?

Generally good news though. 😀

Just read that too. How do you think that will go down? Does Spain have a high proportion of smokers? I was in Spain in September/October and there was no smoking in our hotel at that time.

The Spanish will accept it and just look for ways to get around the law.
For years the law was that you couldn’t smoke on the metro, and that’s how people read it, on the metro no smoking but on the platforms yes! The motorcycle helmet law said that the rider had to carry a helmet, just not necessarily on their head! I sometimes go to a retaurant with an enclosed smoking area and the dividing door is left open allowing the smoke to drift into the non smoking area. 😯

If I remember correctly, the last BA flight to allow smoking was Madrid/London/Manchester-so yes, smoking is/was quite important.
Then there is need to police the law, I’m not sure how it will be policed. But the law has to be strong otherwise the Spanish will simply find ways to get around it.

IIRC, when Scotland banned smoking, if someone smoked on a premises they were fined 50 quid but the owner is fined more if they fail to prevent it (1000?).
Bit of an incentive for the landlords then.

The two main problems I see are that the bar owners who smoke are likely to help the customers find ways around the law and secondly that the enforcers who smoke are not going to be heavy handed.
The second was quite a common sight on the metro when a fag holding security guard would tell you that smoking wasn’t permitted. Difficult to take the law and its enforcers seriously…

Elfin’s and binners’ destination of choice list grows shorter and shorter all the time. Never mind lads, I hear Russia’s opening up 🙂