Smoking in Spanish restaurants

georgia

o.k, best  we agree to dissagree i guess.

you're off  to a beach eh'.......now i do envy you on that one!

Goodstich You really dont understand do you. If I want to smoke, knowing the risks, I WILL and your opinion is not welcome.

You have NO RIGHT to tell smokers what to do. Keep your thoughts about our motives to yourself.

I have never asked why you thought it was sensible for you to buy an AIFOS property

If you enter a smoking bar people will smoke !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I

I am a non-smoker, however my mother used to enjoy her cigarettes.  When she was pregnant (3 times) she never smoked, even though they probably didn't warn you about smoking when you were pregnant 60 years ago!  She never smoked in my house when she visited us, and she did cut down in later years, but she lived until she was 84.  She also enjoyed a couple of gins every night.  I remember her telling me about her uncle, who never smoked or touched alcohol, swam every day but sadly died in his 60s.  She was rarely ill, and hardly cost the NHS much.

Sue

suemac

that's fair enough, some will be lucky. The statistics speak for themselves though, and they are not pretty.

GJ

......oh, I think i understand you.

Hola......................Yes I smoke.

I smoke outside on my balcony because my husband does not smoke. If I am out and in a restaraunt which allows smoking I will wait until everyone at the table has finished eating before I have a cigarette. I would not presume to smoke in someone's house if they do not smoke and yes, I would go outside ( as people I know will confirm ) and have a cigarette. However, I must say that on visits to UK I am made to feel a 2nd class citizen but not in my adopted country of Spain.

I would hope that this thread, which will obviously contain a lot of emotional responses for many reasons, will not degenerate into a slanging match between smokers and non smokers! 

If the British government was sincere in thier warnings about cigarette smoking they would not only ban smoking inside buildings but stop producing cigarettes.

They will NOT do this because of the vast income they recieve from tobacco.........................duel standards ??

One thing I always find strange about these lets 'bite the smokers' threads is that all the most vehement posts come from either non-smokers or reformed ex-smokers...

I see that there are a number of smokers out there including me.

Insofar as Cancer is concerned let me just say; been there, had the op, had the chemo, lost the hair and came out the other side.

I'm not going to jump to the smokers defence...I know its a disgusting habit and I can quite understand people getting uptight about it; BUT when it comes to bars and restaurants, by what right do we as Brits or non Spaniards try to enforce our non smoking rules upon the Spanish?

I suspect that one of the reasons that many people came to Spain in the first place was to escape from the near dictatorial situation that now exists in Britain. (Not to mention the fact that a packet of fags out here is less than half the UK price...!)

Of course we are addicted; like many smokers I started as a teen, more years ago than I care to remember but the inhaled smoke was of little concern when compared with the output from Sheffield's and South Yorkshire's heavy industry and steam trains, when the morning air was black/brown and tainted with God knows what toxins and smog so thick that the buses couldn't run without a pilot in front to guide the way. The Clean Air Act did away with all of that but unfortunately had the side effect of killing off one of Britains main industrial bases and had the knock on effect of killing off the coal mining industry and the steel industry. Lung Cancer existed then but was far less of a problem than pneumoconiosis, TB and pneumonia.

It seems to me that the Spanish have got the right balance; by all means ban smoking in Public Offices and Public Transport, but the cafe society is well ingrained out here and if the proprietor of the bar or restaurant wants to keep his customers then the old traditions have to remain. So if you dont want the 'Smokey Joe' atmosphere, go find another bar...there is always another one just down the road.

Why try to enforce the police state mentality that exists in Britain on the Spanish? They had a generation of true dictatorship to live through.

The great majority of the enforcers, the Guardia Civil are smokers...

That the Blair/Brown duo shot themselves in the foot with their anti-smoking policy for the UK is now fairly obvious; the Exchequer lost so much money in Excise revenue by people giving up smoking all other excise duties have gone up (sometimes very dramatically) to cover the loss. So everyone suffers.

Give the Spanish a break...when in Spain do as the Spanish.

I realise that this will antagonise the non smoking fraternity but hell thats what forums are for isnt it? To get a balanced view?

Foxbat..................it's funny you should say that about Sheffield cos that's where I was brought up....................and it wasn't till I was in my teens that I realised that all BIRDS WERE NOT BLACK!!............( they were always covered in muck, just for those who did not live in what was once a fine industrial city! )

foxbat

re: tax. If the ban on fags has saved the misery of many people, and will no doubt save many more, then can a price be put on that? 

As you say, it's a disgusting habit, do you want that for the next generation of young healthy kids?  Let's just treat it as a disgusting habit and do what we can to give our young people the chance of a healthy life without encouraging cancer!  Spain might be great in many ways, but is also wrong on many issues, as is well documented on this site alone. 

Yes, we have a choice, for heavens sake let's make the right one!

goodstitch;

Stats be damned; stats mean nothing apart from that which the spin doctors want them mean.

Someone once said 'there are lies, damn lies and statistics' and this was never more true than in the case of anything to do with this damn UK government.

First there was Thatcher and its been downhill all the way ever since.

Stats will tell you that there are 1.97 million unemployed in the UK as witness this remark about unemployment. Yes I know its got nothing to do with smoking but...

February 11 2009 - The unemployment rate rose to 6.3% - up 0.4% over the quarter and 1.1% on last year. 29.4 million people were in work in the period October to December according to the labour force survey (LFS). The downturn in the economy continues to have an impact on employment figures - down by 45,000 on the quarter, and down by 37,000 on the last year.

The working age employment rate is 74.1% - down 0.3% on the last quarter and down 0.7% on the last year.

ILO-defined unemployment in October to December was 1.97 million (6.3%) - up by 146,000 unemployed on the quarter and 290,000 from this time last year.

The claimant count for key out-of-work benefits was 1,233,000 in January - up by 73,800 on last month, and up 438,100 on last year.

Earnings growth over the year to December (including bonuses) was 3.2%, unchanged from the previous month.

James Purnell, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions said:

"We know times are tough and we need to continue doing all we can to support people who lose their jobs find another as quickly as possible, preventing the long term unemployment which has so scarred communities in the past from taking root. Full Report here.

Just confuse the people with reams of figures; they will lose interest and figure 'not my problem.'

Does anyone seriously believe this crap? What about those who are out of work long term? After 6 months the benefit stops and they are no longer counted. What about those unemployed over 60's? They dont figure in the stats at all.

Stats mean nothing. Sorry.

But back on topic...

I strongly believe that we should not interfere with the lifestyle of our hosts.

We are not the Masters of the Universe.

Even if Gordon thinks we are...

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Karen. Bob and all other smokers contributing...

if ever you visit Granada gimme a call; I know this nice noisy little village bar where we can smoke ourselves stupid without any of the goodytwoshoes who would have us hanging by the short and curlies just for mentioning the word smoke...

foxbat

ah yes, all the stats, all rubbish. Smoking won't cause any harm, never killed anyone. What was i thinking?  I'ts all about choice. Peoples health, pah!  Just namby pamby's moaning about nothing.

quote re: tax. If the ban on fags has saved the misery of many people, and will no doubt save many more, then can a price be put on that?

I dont believe this for a moment; more likely it has contributed to the misery of many people.

As you say, it's a disgusting habit, do you want that for the next generation of young healthy kids? 

What I want is for them  to grow up in a caring sharing community, but I doubt they will given the state of things in the UK.

Let's just treat it as a disgusting habit ...

It was a disgusting habit when I started at age 15 and its still a disgusting habit. Did I listen to my Dad's advice? Did I hell!

...and do what we can to give our young people the chance of a healthy life without encouraging cancer! 

Better not let them play on the street then; the exhaust fumes might get them.

Spain might be great in many ways, but is also wrong on many issues, as is well documented on this site alone.

But its not for us Brits to enforce our ways upon them. They are our hosts.

Yes, we have a choice, for heavens sake let's make the right one!

The choice as always is simple; if you cant get on with your host, leave the party...

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........cor blimey foxbat, sounds like you need a fag to calm your nerves!

I need one & I don't smoke.  

Nah!

Just a very touchy subject!

and just one of many many reasons why we got the hell out.

But I love a good argument! And its been way to quiet on this forum for a while!

The Politicians and Nanny State Guardians have ruined the UK.

I just want to shout out to everyone WAKE UP before they finally remove the last remnants your rights as an individual.

I would like to be able to walk down the street of my UK hometown knowing that I am not going to be;

a) Knifed in the back for my last packet of fags or my last fiver.

b) Arrested for under the Te**orism Act for walking on a cycle track.

c) Shot by a heavy mob of armed police on a tube train because someone thought I might bea te**orist...

d) Fly out of Gatwick without some airport nazi telling me to pick up and carry my luggage rather than sliding it along with my foot whilst I am waiting in a check-in queue...

Just little things...but like I said I love a good argument

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Hey, I walk along cycle tracks too.  I see a whole new thread on the horizon.

Yep totally agree with your view on the UK Foxbat.

With regards to smokers or non smokers. Remember we're all gonna die, so  try and enjoy yourselves and make the best of your life in whatever manner pleases you, during the time your here...

Can someone tell me WHY the HOP still have a smoking room !!! .

HOP?

I assume thats the Houses of Parliament...

Simple really;

One Rule for them and another for the rest of us...

Nuff said?

floella Hi,

Your question is answered much more eloquently here...

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