Barcelona’s restaurant industry has formed an unprecedented united front against Spain’s proposed terrace smoking ban. Hostelería de España, the Gremi de Restauració de Barcelona, Foment del Treball, Pimec and Barcelona Oberta all say the government should halt the new anti-smoking law immediately.
The law passed its first stage in Spain’s Congress this September and would ban smoking on all bar and restaurant terraces. However, restaurant owners aren’t buying the government’s public health argument. They accuse Health Minister Mónica García of using the law as a smokescreen to distract from other issues.
Meanwhile, the five business groups say this terrace smoking ban will hit hospitality hard, especially after the sector already took a battering during recent difficult years. The unified opposition from such major organisations shows how seriously Barcelona’s restaurant scene is taking this threat.
Industry representatives insist smoking on terraces simply isn’t a problem society is asking to fix. Instead, they argue the minister is pushing the ban for political reasons rather than genuine health concerns.
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