News in brief: Spain turns heat on smokers (fwd)

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

News in brief: Spain turns heat on smokers
Date: Wednesday, 7/14/99

SPAIN is moving to stub out smoking, its national passion. From Sept 1 the
national carrier, Iberia, will ban smoking on all flights, while the
government has banned the sale of tobacco close to schools. Businesses
with cigarette vending machines will be fined up to 500,000 pesetas
(£1,950) if caught selling cigarettes to children under 16.

Official figures show that 36 per cent of adult Spaniards smoke, lighting
up on average 17 cigarettes a day, the second highest rate in the European
Union after Greece. Past efforts to restrict smoking have been widely
ignored. Passengers on the Madrid metro regularly light up while waiting
for trains, despite no-smoking signs.