No Smoking Affects Bars

Well we were chatting to our Spanish friends over the weekend and the impact of the no smoking ban is certainly affecting the bars.

If you happen to own a large restaurant with plenty of outside space then the ban will not affect you very much. But if your restaurant is on the small or medium size or you just do not have much outside space then the impact is quite high.

Now I know all the non-smokers out there will be jumping up and down clapping and cheering but think of the family run businesses for just a moment.

There are still a lot of smokers out there and while on holiday what do they normally do? They go out for a meal; sit and have a drink and have a smoke.

Now it will all change. They may still go out for a meal but instead of staying at their favourite bar they will get up and go for a walk, or go along the road to that other place that happens to have plenty of outside space because outside space means you can have a drink and a smoke.

In the UK we are already used to not being able to smoke in bars and restaurants but then it is not normal to go out every night to a bar or restaurant so the odd occasion it doesn't matter if you have to pop outside for a smoke.

On holiday you are generally out every night in a bar or restaurant.

Oh well this is one argument that will never have a solution but I feel terribly sorry for the bar owners who rely on tourism to earn a living and I hope the fate that has befallen many pubs in Britain (they are now takeaway restaurants or closed) does not happen to them in Spain.