A Welcome Change
After three long years, citizens of the Balearic Islands can finally enjoy a cigarette on the terraces of bars and restaurants once more. The ban, which has been in effect since August 2020, will be lifted with the approval of a Royal Decree in today’s Council of Ministers. This decree signifies the end of the health crisis caused by COVID-19 and the extraordinary measures that were implemented as a result. The official publication of the decree in the Official State Gazette (BOE) is expected on Wednesday or Thursday.
Holding Firm Amidst Change
In March 2022, while some communities began easing the ban, the Balearic Islands decided to maintain it under the existing COVID-19 legislation, awaiting a pending reform of the anti-smoking law by the government. The proposed reform aimed to increase the price of tobacco across the board, maintain smoke-free spaces on bar and restaurant terraces, prohibit smoking in cars in the presence of minors and pregnant women, and extend the ban to other outdoor areas such as beaches, parks, football fields, sports venues, and concert venues based on recommendations from the Spanish Society of Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery and the General Council of Nursing.
A Return to Pre-Pandemic Normality
With the lifting of this final measure from the COVID-19 health crisis, which also means the end of mask mandates in pharmacies, health centers, hospitals, and socio-health centers, the population can now fully embrace a sense of pre-pandemic normality.
Smoke-Free Initiative for Bar and Restaurant Terraces
In anticipation of the imminent end to the smoking ban on terraces, the Balearic Cancer Association launched a campaign in late May, encouraging bars and restaurants to voluntarily maintain their terraces as smoke-free spaces once the current pandemic regulations are lifted. Previously, this voluntary ban was only upheld in the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands.
The CAEB-Restoration business organization and the Association against Cancer in the Balearic Islands joined forces to implement this campaign, aiming to inform customers about the smoke-free status of participating establishments. On May 31, the pact was officially signed on the terrace of Bar Bosch by Robledo and the president of the Association against Cancer in the islands, José Reyes. Reyes emphasized that 30% of cancer cases are linked to tobacco use, extending beyond lung cancer to include stomach and colon cancer, among others.
