In Spain, as in other EU countries, a law was introduced in 2006, bringing in a partial ban in public buildings, Bars, Restaurants, and other public places.  In Spain, like in Germany, it is considered to be a cultural thing to have a cigarette with your café Solo or beer.  I remember in Madrid it was considered strange to us to see people smoking at the airport, with the smell of smoke permeating throughout the terminal.  When we arrived in our resort, at the reception of the hotel, in Playa del Ingles, Gran Canaria, it was amazing to see that just next to the reception about 10 to 15 tables were set aside as a smoking area – resulting in the first welcome to the hotel being a wall of smoke.  

It is true that the majority of clients in the hotel are Germans, and as such smokers are heavily represented in the general population, with some of the weakest laws.  I was not surprised to see that in this case the smokers were accommodated.  

When the law was introduced in 2006, it was based on the principle that premises under 100 Sqm could choose to be smoke free or not, for premises over this, a maximum of 30% could be smoking, and had to be separated by a physical separation. This law led to so much confusion, and total chaos as owners of bars and restaurants did not know clearly what this law meant.  The law was therefore never respected, and now days it seems to be totally normal to ignore it completely.  This means that it is now very difficult to find a non-smoking environment.

The so called ban on smoking in Spain has been a farce, and as such it is surprising to see bar owners such as British and Irish bars, failing to offer non-smoking facilities to their compatriots and embracing the Spanish anarchy of intolerance for non-smokers.  I know that on paper, the non-smoking law applies only to premises of more than 100 Sqm,  of which there are very few in Spain and the canaries and the legislation is totally ignored.  I also realize that at street level hardly anyone gives a dam like in Germany, in mainland Spain, it is common to see parents with small children seated at a table and all the parents smoking or worse parents smoking in the car with children. Forcing the children to smoke every day.  So come on Spain! the French, the Italians, The British and Irish have done it – 100% non-smoking bars and restaurants, why not Spain?  How long until you sort this out?
Erick Munnings

What is the Smoking legislation in  other European countries?