By Matthew Power in Huesca, Aragón
Saturday, 12 February 2011
Monday, 7 February 2011
Stubbing out smoking
When the Spanish government introduced a nationwide ban on smoking last month, it transformed the country’s smoke-filled tapas bars and restaurants in to some of the strictest smoke-free zones in Europe.
Just as in the U.K., where a similar ban was introduced in 2007, gone are the days of the old walking stick-clutching men sitting in a bar with a cigarette and a small beer, passing their days chatting to any stranger that will listen to them.
It is automatically assumed that businesses will suffer due to punters not being able to smoke on their premises. However, there is a major cultural difference between Britain and Spain that needs to be considered when discussing the impact of the smoking ban on businesses.
It may be the case that businesses have closed due to the ban in Britain because of the reserved nature of its people; it is not uncommon for Brits to stock up on alcohol from the supermarket on a Saturday night and drink and eat a takeaway in front of I’m a Celebrity or X Factor.
However, Spaniards rarely socialise at home and would much prefer to go out. It is not uncommon for close, life-long friends in Spain to have never been to each others’ houses. They, in their continental style, meet friends outside of the home in cafes, bars or, in the summer, even in the street. Their entire social life is based around the atmosphere that establishments provide rather than the products they serve, unlike in Britain where people are fussy about their alcohol.
Of course, Spaniards love smoking just as much as British people and there’s no doubt that there are a lot of very angry black-lunged Spaniards. However, I believe it will not have the same impact on bars and restaurants as it has in Britain because of this culture and different style of socialising.
When talking to Spaniards about the new law it appears, just as in Britain, that there is a split between those that agree and disagree with it. Many of those who oppose it, be they smokers or non-smokers, refer to the law as being like a product of dictatorship, something Spain knows plenty about. Having only been a democracy for just over 35 years after the four decade-long dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, many Spaniards rebel against anything they see as totalitarian and they see a ban on smoking as being just that.
They also take up the opinion that it is especially damaging to introduce such a law in the middle of an economic crisis because of which bars are closing anyway. But as supermarkets continue to cash in on the closure of drinking establishments in Britain by selling cheap booze and cigarettes, it appears to me that Spaniards lack the entrepreneurial skills to take the same advantage. There are no shops that sell both tobacco and alcohol together in Spain and Spaniards would not be able to find gaps in the market to make money from as they would in other nations.
However, one sector that is cashing in on the smoking ban is patio heater manufacturers. Just as in Britain, bars are now buying these expensive products to keep smokers warm whilst they puff away outside their premises. Walking around my town, there are brand new heaters still in plastic wrapping waiting to be used. At least some Spaniards have business minds.
Time will tell whether the Spanish government will persist in their bid to irradiate smoking from public places, as some establishments continue to flout the ban. It will also be interesting to see if there is a cultural shift in Spain because of the law, and whether Spaniards begin to open up their homes to friends so that they can smoke and drink out of cold nights.
PHOTO: Gordon Jolly
Just as in the U.K., where a similar ban was introduced in 2007, gone are the days of the old walking stick-clutching men sitting in a bar with a cigarette and a small beer, passing their days chatting to any stranger that will listen to them.
It is automatically assumed that businesses will suffer due to punters not being able to smoke on their premises. However, there is a major cultural difference between Britain and Spain that needs to be considered when discussing the impact of the smoking ban on businesses.
It may be the case that businesses have closed due to the ban in Britain because of the reserved nature of its people; it is not uncommon for Brits to stock up on alcohol from the supermarket on a Saturday night and drink and eat a takeaway in front of I’m a Celebrity or X Factor.
However, Spaniards rarely socialise at home and would much prefer to go out. It is not uncommon for close, life-long friends in Spain to have never been to each others’ houses. They, in their continental style, meet friends outside of the home in cafes, bars or, in the summer, even in the street. Their entire social life is based around the atmosphere that establishments provide rather than the products they serve, unlike in Britain where people are fussy about their alcohol.
Of course, Spaniards love smoking just as much as British people and there’s no doubt that there are a lot of very angry black-lunged Spaniards. However, I believe it will not have the same impact on bars and restaurants as it has in Britain because of this culture and different style of socialising.
When talking to Spaniards about the new law it appears, just as in Britain, that there is a split between those that agree and disagree with it. Many of those who oppose it, be they smokers or non-smokers, refer to the law as being like a product of dictatorship, something Spain knows plenty about. Having only been a democracy for just over 35 years after the four decade-long dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, many Spaniards rebel against anything they see as totalitarian and they see a ban on smoking as being just that.
They also take up the opinion that it is especially damaging to introduce such a law in the middle of an economic crisis because of which bars are closing anyway. But as supermarkets continue to cash in on the closure of drinking establishments in Britain by selling cheap booze and cigarettes, it appears to me that Spaniards lack the entrepreneurial skills to take the same advantage. There are no shops that sell both tobacco and alcohol together in Spain and Spaniards would not be able to find gaps in the market to make money from as they would in other nations.
However, one sector that is cashing in on the smoking ban is patio heater manufacturers. Just as in Britain, bars are now buying these expensive products to keep smokers warm whilst they puff away outside their premises. Walking around my town, there are brand new heaters still in plastic wrapping waiting to be used. At least some Spaniards have business minds.
Time will tell whether the Spanish government will persist in their bid to irradiate smoking from public places, as some establishments continue to flout the ban. It will also be interesting to see if there is a cultural shift in Spain because of the law, and whether Spaniards begin to open up their homes to friends so that they can smoke and drink out of cold nights.
PHOTO: Gordon Jolly
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