ARCHIVED - Spanish Health Ministry considering complete smoking ban on outdoor bar terraces

The document is not due for immediate debate but is in a draft working format

The Spanish Ministry of Health is expected to propose to the autonomous regional governments that smoking on the outdoor terraces of hotel and catering establishments throughout the country be banned, regardless of whether two meters can be maintained as an interpersonal safety distance or not.

The proposal is not expected to be debated at the next meeting of the Public Health Commission this Thursday but is currently in a draft working document, as are many other topics and proposals, all open to debate and still subject to technical considerations.

The draft proposes this measure "with the double objective of acting on smoking as a risk factor for infection and contagion of COVID-19, together with the need to contribute to the control of the evolution of the disease in Spain ".

At the present time, there are 6 regional governments (Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Cantabria, Valencian Community, Asturias and Aragon) that have currently prohibited " the consumption of different tobacco products on outdoor terraces, regardless of the maintenance of two meters as an interpersonal safety distance”.

The Health Ministry has said in the document that other regions are also currently considering the application of this measure, have issued recommendations in this regard, or are in favor of its application.