On January 1 of last year, the Anti-Smoking Law came into effect and prohibited smoking in workplaces and in premises with a capacity of more than 100 square meters, unless their owners enabled a smoking area. A year later, the truth is that most of the bars and restaurants that exceed this capacity have not renovated their premises and practically 100% of the premises that do not reach this capacity allow smoking.
This was stated this morning by the president of the Lanzarote Association of Tourist Businesses, Victoriano Elvira, on the Radio Lanzarote program "Buenos días". "Some businessmen decided that smoking was not allowed in their premises and then they had to back down because the client asked for the opposite".
According to data published in the newspaper La Provincia, 62% of the bars in the Archipelago violate the Anti-Smoking Law, something with which Elvira does not agree, who points out that the Law has left the door open to businessmen depending on the capacity of their premises and when they exceed 100 square meters, "the businessmen have taken the shortest path: they do not allow smoking in the premises, but they have large terraces where the client can do so". Precisely because of the large number of open premises that a tourist island like Lanzarote has, most of the hospitality businessmen have not carried out works in their establishments to enable smoking areas.
On January 1, the obligation came into force that all establishments that have a tobacco vending machine must have their operation regulated by a remote control, controlled by the workers of the premises, in order to prevent minors from buying tobacco. Victoriano Elvira points out that they will comply with the measure, "but we do not think it is very important because tobacco machines are generally monitored".
According to the study carried out by the Center for Sociological Research, CIS, 42% of Spaniards believe that the Law has not reduced the amount of smoke in bars and restaurants, although more than 74% believe that it has managed to stop smoking in workplaces.
