Half a million Spaniards stop smoking
Zaragoza, Spain (dpa) - More than half a million Spaniards have stopped smoking since the country introduced stringent anti-smoking legislation from the beginning of this year, an expert said Monday.
Cigarette sales have gone down by more than 5 per cent, said Rodrigo Cordoba, president of the National Committee for the Prevention of Smoking.
The number of heart attacks in active and passive smokers has dropped by an estimated 10 per cent from 2005, according to Cordoba.
Legislation against smoking is a more efficient way of fighting it than self-regulation and negotiation, he concluded.
The anti-smoking trend was, however, visible in Spain even before the law was adopted.
Formerly known as a "smokers' paradise," Spain has banned smoking in places of work, and requests bigger restaurants and bars to have separate smokers' zones. Smaller establishments must choose between allowing or banning smoking for all their clients. // © 2006 DPA
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