Hipocrits
Hipocrits, originally uploaded by gorkabear.
I saw this ad next to my office, at a bus stop
It literally says
"If smoking is not allowed in leisure venues (bars and clubs), there will be more noise at night"
It's paid by three associations of bars and restaurants.
I know we're a country of noisy people. But if the Italians have managed just to go out for 2 minutes, have a puff and come back and continue enjoying the party, I can't see why we can't here in Spain. What's more, some locals already have terrasses in which smoking will be permitted.
I'm a former smoker and I know how tempting is to combine your drink with a cigarette. But believe me, you can do those two things separately. There's nothing like going to a smoke-free bar to really appreciate this.
Spain is likely to ban smoking in ALL public spaces from next January, since the current law, which "asked for" bars to be smokers or non-smokers has meant that 99% of bars are for smokers. Large venues have the option to have a separate area for smokers but in most places it's just a curtain or something like that.