The Smoking Group of SEE says smokers who are infected and asymptomatic can emit drops of water containing the virus, which puts the rest of the population at risk.
SEE acknowledges that anti-smoking laws have significantly reduced smoke exposure, but recommends that tobacco restrictions be tightened to reduce the high burden of morbidity and mortality associated with tobacco use and exposure to smoke.
It also believes there are still indoor and outdoor spaces that are not regulated by law, where smoke levels are high and carry significant health risks for smokers, non-smokers and minors.
The Society claims that 80% of establishments break the law by allowing smoking on terraces with two or more enclosures and that in these cases, the concentration of nicotine and particles can exceed the levels found in indoor spaces when smoking was allowed.
The Government is currently working on implementing new anti-smoking regulations that will include raising taxes, equating vaping with traditional cigarettes and banning vaping in areas where smoking is already banned.
Smokers may also be banned from lighting up in private cars as is already the case in Canada, the United States and Italy.
SEE also wants the ban extended to beaches, hotel terraces, sports facilities, outdoor shows, in private cars and other means of transport, at the entrance to Educational Centres where minors are present and on University Campuses.
7 comments
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I stopped smoking in 1990. I had a heart attack ,triple by pass ,and 4 weeks in Intensive care. When I asked the Heart Surgeon what had caused my attack He immeditley said SMOKING!!. BUT I HAD STOPPED 12 YEARS BEFORE THE ATTACK. NOW I avoid cigarrette smoke as I do not want another attack or CANCER from passive smoking. Which means staying inside Bars and Restaurants.
How can smoking be contributing to the spread of the virus anymore than breathing? A persons breath travels in the same pattern as someone smoking only with smokers you can see it. Just one more contradiction to add to the very long list.
Regarding my previous comment on the smoking ban, The amount of bars that closed in England when the smoking ban came into effect was 7,000. This resulted in 7,000 less pubs paying tax and V.A.T it also meant that all the people who worked in these pubs then became unemployed, so a loss of tax revenue from the bars and the people who worked in them. Economical disaster for everyone.
If you want to put a ban on smoking like England did, you may as well close all the bars and restaurants now, 8 pubs a day closed when the smoking ban came into effect in England, restaurants closed, and I think that tourist would start going to other countries for their holidays. A huge amount of money was lost in tax from Pubs closing and people becoming unemployed. Think before you put this forward!
Since people outside have to pull down masks to smoke, it’s completely reasonable to ban smoking. Also, sitting on the beach with someone next to you smoking is just hideous. And not a good lesson for children.It’s a good idea.
simple if they refuse to quit they don't get treated they are already putting people at risk with their filthy habit with passive smoke couldn't be a better excuse for promoting a no smoking policy
I have never understood how parents or grandparents, smoke in their cars with their (small) kids on the back seat. And you see this a LOT in Spain (more so on the mainland). These people should get hefty fines.