No smoking ban starts smoothly.

16 Jan, 2006

New anti-smoking legislation that came into force on 1 January has not been greeted by any serious protests, and the majority of bars, restaurants and company premises seem to be enforcing the new regulations. Smoking is now forbidden in all public buildings and in all work places. Employees have to smoke out in the open air and will be obliged to make up work time lost when smoking. It is no longer possible to buy cigarettes from kiosks in Spain but the professional association of kiosk owners is contesting this ban. The only place you can but cigarettes now is in a licensed estanco, the traditional stamp and cigarette shops in Spain.

The Spanish transport minister, Magdalena Alvarez, a keen anti-smoking campaigner, has promised that early in 2006 smoking will be banned on all RENFE train journeys of less than five hours.