Pictures on packets have less dissuasive effect than high price of tobacco

More smokers willing to give up since enclosed area ban

SPAIN In a recent report the Organization of Consumers OCU concludes that the most persuasive anti-smoking tactic is in the price of tobacco. It is more effective than photos of diseased lungs or mouths printed on packets, or even than a ban on smoking in public places. The report reflects interviews with a number of organizations and research through experts. The price of cigarettes and other tobacco items went up in Spain on September 1 as the result of a new special tax, and also because VAT went up by 3% (to 21%) at the same time. Many smokers,YOU WILL SOON BE UNABLE

82% agree with smoking ban

Prospero, who gave up smoking
in June 2010, no longer feels like this
(except when he does)

SPAIN A Spanish medical research organization, Sociedad Española de Medicina de Familia y Comunitaria reports the result of a recent survey of over 4,000 people aged 18 and over at Primary Health Care Centers (the local Health Centre, to the rest of us), covering smokers, non-smokers and ex-smokers. The research says that 82% of the population is against allowing the ban on smoking in public places to be rescinded (something that had been put about by the pro-smoking lobby when the government but has been officially denied). And 78% believe the anti-smoking law that came into force at the beginning of 2011 was a success. It is calculated that only 27% to 29% of the total population - lower than a few years ago, when it went to 35% - is considered to be a smoker (Prosp note: this number must include babies and small fry, surely), but the law has not managed to reduce smoking in private places: 57% of those polled said they smoke at home since the ban, of whom 12% say they do so more frequently, while 10% said they didn't smoke then and they don't smoke now. Smoking among women aged 12 to 22 is up by 12% since the ban, according to another survey, while it has diminished by 1.4% among males of the same age.

Number of smokers rises despite year-old smoking ban

Teenage smoking on the rise

Declaration of interest: Prospero gave up 20 months ago

SPAIN A year ago on January 2, 2011, a ban on smoking in public places went into effect. It was the most severe in Europe at the time. But it has not diminished the number of smokers -on the contrary, that figure has risen- and neither has it prevented teenagers taking up the habit. This according to the Sociedad Española de Neumología y Cirugía Torácica (Spanish Society of  Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery, or Separ in the Spanish acronym), who presented the first extensive study on the subject since the law's inception. Thus, it calculates that 17.65 of the population smokes, 0.50% more than before the last report in 2007. The 3,300 people surveyed produced another "worrying" item: the trend among 13 to 16 year olds is on an upward curve. The only good news to come out of the report is that>>>

Government announces smoke-free environment plans

Dr. John Cortes,
Minister for Health and the Environment 

GIBRALTAR (Press release) The Minister for Health and the Environment Dr John Cortes is pleased to announce that in keeping with the Government's manifesto commitment, and in line with modern practice, a Bill for a Smoke-free Environment Act will be introduced shortly so that legislation will become effective as from 1 October 2012. This will allow establishments a lead-in period to  accommodate the requirements of the law, including the provision of no smoking signs, etc. It will coincide with a reduction in rates to bars, restaurants and social clubs, on a sliding scale, which will revert to the standard position over a period of three years. A command paper setting out the proposed provisions of the Smoke Free Environment Bill will be published within a month. At the same time the Gibraltar Health Authority is stepping up its anti-smoking campaign, which will include the launch of a series of locally produced TV advertisements and will be promoting its stop smoking service which now includes the newly implemented provision of nicotine replacement therapy. No-smoking day is a significant date in the calendar and many people choose to quit smoking on this day. The GHA will be marking this event with the manning of a stand at the north end of Main Street outside the lobby of the ICC between 10am and 2pm on Wednesday 14th March, offering information and advice to people who wish to quit or learn about quitting.

No smoking in bus shelters

New bus shelter under construction

GIBRALTAR (GibChronicle) Gibraltar Government has banned smoking in bus shelters and published legislation to make it an offence. A Gibraltar Government spokesman said: “The Government’s Traffic, Parking and Transport Plan includes the introduction of new bus shelters throughout Gibraltar. The Government has now taken the policy decision to ban smoking in bus shelters and has published legislation that makes it an offence. Minister for Transport Joe Holliday said: “For some time now the Government has been receiving complaints from the public and organisations like the Senior Citizens Association about the detrimental effects of people smoking in bus shelters.  “Therefore, in response to these requests the Government has decided to enact legislation that makes it an offence to smoke in bus shelters. “The legislation has now come into effect and the Government seeks the co-operation of the public in order that bus shelters remain smoke free.”

FC Barcelona members to vote on smoking ban

BARCELONA (El Pais) Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium will be the first in Spain to ban smoking if members of the Liga soccer club vote for the measure at its next general assembly. Until a decision is taken, the Catalan giant has recommended that supporters refrain from smoking in the stands, even though open-air arenas such as soccer stadiums are exempt from the anti-tobacco law that came in to effect on January 2. A complete ban on smoking inside Camp Nou has been proposed by the club president, Sandro Rosell, who on Monday announced the measure alongside the regional health chief, Boi Ruiz, and the president of the Barcelona Medical Association, Miquel Vilardell. "You can do what you want with your health," Rosell said, citing the number of children who attend games. "But not with that of others."

Cigarette sales down by 32.57% in first month of smoking ban

SPAIN (Agencies) Cigarette sales went down by 32.57% in January, compared to December 2010, according to the Treasury, and by 34.03% when compared to January of last year. For the first time since these figures have been published, the number of cigarette packets sold was under the 200 million mark in a year; 194,770,461 to be exact. The descent has susprised even the Comité Nacional de Prevención del Tabaquismo (CNPT, or National Prevention of Tobacco Addiction Committee), which had not forecast such a sharp descent. Their prediction was>

Gibraltar: small but smoky

GIBRALTAR (Photo: illustration only, before we get a whole lot of llanito e-mails!) The smoking ban, one of the toughest in Europe came into effect on January 2, 2011. In Spain, but not on the Rock. England, Northern Ireland and Wales got theirs in 2007, Scotland in 2006 and Ireland in 2004. But not Gibraltar. Despite the enclave's closeness to Spain and its affiliation, legally-speaking, with the UK, there is no smoking ban there, nor does there appear to be any Government move toward an all out ban, though studies have been carried out. Nevertheless, Gibraltar is not completely bereft of some protection for non-smokers (or is that 'passive smokers'?).>

Bars and night spots lose over 19% of sales thanks to smoking ban

SPAIN (Agencies) The Federación Española de Hostelería (FEHR), which groups various catering and hostelry organizations, reports that bars and cafes, and night spots, have seen a decrease in sales of 19.14% and 19.88% respectively in January, according to a poll taken among 1,200 businesses. The smoking ban has affected restaurants a little less, as these report a downturn of 14.35%. The report says that the ban has caused 'significant losses' in 85.94% of establishments, while only 1.49% report an upturn. "This makes the former Health Minister, Trinidad Jiménez (now Foreign Minister), a liar because>

Anti- anti-smoking ban restaurant closed down by the police

MARBELLA/Guadalmina (Agencies) The restaurant owner who defied the new anti-smoking ban at his restaurant, has put a temporary stop to his quixotic campaign. José Eugenio Arias-Camisón (photo) was serving a couple of beers and some pintxos (tapas in the North of Spain) at 9pm on Thursday last week, when the Local Police turned up with an order to close the estblishment. He refused, and argued for some time before he was advised that if he didn't he would be arrested. But that doesn't mean that he has given up. A few minutes after his Asador Guadalmina closed its doors,>

Local Police forced use Internet to know how to implement anti-smoking law

ALGECIRAS - It was revealed recently by the police union that the town's Local Police have had to refer to articles on Intenet so that they could apply the new anti-smoking law. The matter came up when the union, USPLA, complained that the stations in Algeciras did not have what they called a 'Legal Advisor' to back up the many denuncias they receive and emanate. It is not a matter of more personnel, they said, just of having at least one man specializing in the legal aspects of police work. The union believes that there are some basic problems in terms of security in Algeciras, which they put to a new political group, UPyD, whose candidate for Mayor in the coming local elections, José Luis Fernández Núñez, added, "The problems stem from the need for some basic rules on how the Local Police operate, a document that has not been in existence since 2003."

To smoke or not to smoke at the Ferias

SPAIN/ANDALUCÍA One of the consequences stemming from Spain's new anti-smoking law, which came into effect on January 2, is a great deal of confusion about whether smoking is or is not allowed in the casetas (marquees) at the innumerable ferias throughout the country. The largest of these in Andalucía(Sevilla, Jerez and Algeciras) began asking their local councils about how the new law would applied, and the same could probably be said of any town or village anywhere with an annual fair.>