Letters to the Editor

Why are anti-smoking regulations controversial in Mallorca? I wonder what the majority of the residents of this island think about smoking in public.

There is, of course, no doubt that Mallorca is an international tourist destination, with a significant percentage of its overall income generated by tourism-related business. Every place on the planet Earth, including major tourist destinations, where smoking in public is forbidden, has seen a marked increase in tourism. This easily-verifiable fact seems to have flown over the heads of the government officials who are still debating the issue. I wonder how many of them smoke.

Without fail, every country, city, restaurant, or other business around the world – tourist dependent or not – has seen a marked increase in income – tourist-dependent and not — after banning smoking in public. The dire predictions of business loss made by business owners and governments, has simply failed to materialize. In fact, without fail, income – tourist-dependent and not – has significantly increased since smoking was banned in public spaces.

A few examples: The countries of Canada, Colombia, Bhutan, et al.

The cities of San Francisco, California; Beijing, China; Mexico City, Mexico; São Paulo, Brazil; et al. Employment and business receipts (can you say “taxes”?) were up 8.7 percent in Beijing, Mexico City, New York, and São Paulo, SIX MONTHS AFTER public smoking was banned.Virtually every college and university campus in the world. Smoking in cars in which children are riding is illegal in many places.

There are many, many more examples of how business has improved following the proscription of smoking in public.

Shame on you, Mallorca and Palma government officials. Failing to ban smoking in public places, in the face of the scientific evidence of mortality, has an equivalent in criminal law. It is called premeditated, first-degree murder.

Jerry Hoffman