As Spain introduces some of Europe’s most stringent anti-smoking measures, Irish publicans and campaigners weigh in on the pros and cons of restricting tobacco use.
When, last year, it became clear to Spanish publicans that they were going to be dragged wheezing and spluttering into a continent congested by smoke-free zones they called on their Irish counterparts for advice. This meant a day trip to Madrid for some members of the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland, including its president, Gerald Mellett. “They were looking for information about our experience . . . but all we could really tell them was that there’s not an awful lot you can do about it,” he says.
Source: Roisin Ingle, The Irish Times, 08/01/2011