Spain smoking law

The Spanish parliamentary commission passed a bill yesterday to make all bars and restaurants no-smoking zones, bringing Spain in line with the European Union's strictest anti-smoking nations.

The law also will make Spain a tougher place to smoke than many other European countries where bars and restaurants are still allowed to have smoking sections.

The current law put in place in 2006 bans smoking in the workplace.

But that law aimed at cracking down on smoking let owners of most bars and cafes to decide on their own whether to allow smoking - and almost all ended up doing so, leading critics to label the earlier law a total failure.

Those bar and cafe owners will now lose the privilege.