After a scheduled full debate today, the Senate is expected to give the nod to the new Anti Tobacco Law and pass it on to Congress for final approval and implementation as from January 1st 2011.
The PP, with the support of the CiU, have submitted amendments to the law which would allow smoking in cubicles where no children or serving staff are permitted to enter and are asking for the introduction of the legislation to be postponed until July 2011.
Under the current law, bars with a total area of less than 100 square metres were allowed to choose to be smoking or non-smoking – the vast majority opting for smoking – and larger establishments were permitted to have an enclosed smoking area.
Under the new law, smoking is banned in all enclosed public spaces.