I have ever smoked. Never seen the point of it, even before I was aware of the health risks. I know a lot of girls growing up thought it was glamorous and grown up, but even then they just looked idiots with a white stick in their mouths.

I was probably helped by the fact that neither parent smoked as there is certainly a drect correlation between those whose parents smoked and smoke themselves:

The graphic images that will soon be displayed on all cigarretes sold in Spain are certainly graphic, some would say disgusting, and many say they are going to far. They will be introduced soon, althought cigarettes manufactured before their introduction will contine to be sold in the current packets.

The total ban on smoking in bars, restaurants and leisure venues in 2010 will provoke the closure of 35,000 to 40,000 businesses or around 10 per cent of the total in Spain and the direct loss of 100,000 jobs, says Gaietà Farràs, vice President of the Spanish hospitality and Restaurant federation (FEHR).

Predicting next year’s first ‘burning’ issue is easy, as come 2010 certain items won’t be burning anymore: at some point during the first half of the year, smoking in any enclosed public space in Spain will be totally prohibited.

How the new legislation (some of the most restrictive in Europe) goes down with Spain’s hotel, bar and restaurant owners remains to be seen; particularly as when a partial smoking ban was introduced in 2006, it only affected one establishment in five.

Restaurant terraces and bull rings will escape the harsher measures

The Health Minister has confirmed that Spain is to introduce an extended smoking ban next year, when, from an as yet to be confirmed date, ‘No Smoking’ signs will be seen in all closed public places. The legislation which has been in place since 2006 currently permits the smaller bars and restaurants to choose whether to allow smoking on the premises or not; if they do allow it, they must provide a separate closed-off area for smokers.

She said 4 of every 5 establishments currently allow smoking on the premises

The Health Minister wants to take advantage of Spain’s upcoming presidency of the European Union to bring in stricter smoking measures, which Trinidad Jiménez sees as a ‘magnificent opportunity’ to modify the country’s current legislation on the matter.

Spain takes over presidency of the European Council of Ministers on 1st January next year.

The Croatian parliament has done a U-turn on a law banning smoking in public after pressure from cafe and restaurant owners, the assembly said on its website Friday.

An amended law, adopted late Thursday, again allows smoking in cafes and restaurants in specially designated smoking zones. The zones must not be less than 20 percent of the establishment’s overall surface area.

The news was given by the Minister for Health in an interview in El Mundo

In an interview given to El Mundo today, the Spanish Minister for Health, Trinidad Jiménez, has said that smoking is to be prohibited in all closed public spaces, leisure areas and restaurants. She told the paper that it was a matter of public health and that Spain should go as far as the rest of Europe.

Unions say many smaller bars and restaurants will be forced to close if the harsher measures are introduced

The recent news from the Health Minister that the government is working on extending the smoking ban to all public places is the ‘worst news of the summer’ for Spain’s hostelry sector, a union has claimed. The UPTA union for the self-employed said the stricter measures will mean many businesses will have to close.

Spain’s government said Monday it wants to introduce a total ban on smoking in public places.

Health authorities “would like to take the decision to totally ban smoking in all public places,” based on opinion polls which show that the majority of Spaniards back such a move, Health Minister Trinidad Jimenez said.

“The polls that we have carried out, including among smokers, indicate that 70 percent of the population would be favourable to a total ban,” she told Cadena Ser radio, noting the success of such moves in Ireland, Italy and Turkey.

The Health Minister believes society is mature enough to accept a total ban in all public places

The Health Minister believes Spanish society is ‘mature enough’ to accept a total ban on smoking in all public places. The smoking law introduced in January 2006 allows bars and restaurants smaller than 100 square metres to choose whether to allow smoking or not, but now the Minister wants them to be included in an extended ban.