Smoking costs the Balearics money

PALMA
THE Balearics is one of five regions which will lose State funding because of failure to comply with the tough central government anti-smoking laws.
The Balearic government introduced its own anti-smoking bill which is more lenient than the State law, particularly when it comes to smoking in bars.
The other regions which will lose funds (a total of nearly five million euros) are Madrid, Castilla and Leon, La Rioja and Valencia. The central health ministry has also gone to court over their interpretations of the law.

The decision to withdraw the funds was welcomed yesterday by the Federation of Associations for the Defence of Public Health.
A spokesman said yesterday “we understand that it is a measure which is fully justified because these regions are contravening the spirit of the legislation.” He went on to say that it is necessary that the legislation on “an addiction as harmful as smoking” should be followed to the letter, to protect “the majority of Spaniards who are not smokers.” He added that the government should also consider tightening the legislation, banning smoking in all enclosed spaces open to the public.

After approving the law, the health ministry decided to offer financial support for enforcing it, and it is this support that the Balearics have now lost.