Spain - anti-smoking law goes into effect Sunday, January 2, 2010.

January 2, 2010 - The law banned smoking in indoor bars and restaurants, giving the nation some of the toughest smoking restrictions in western Europe. (A look at smoking bans elsewhere in Europe.) The new law bans smoking in all enclosed public spaces, including bars, restaurants and nightclubs and makes it illegal to smoke in children's parks or anywhere on school or hospital grounds. The law puts Spain in line with Britain, France and Italy, which prohibit smoking in all enclosed public places.

DID YOU KNOW - Smoking is the biggest killer in Spain, with 50,000 smoking-related deaths annually. Did you know - fewer than 5% of Spanish women aged 45-74 smoke compared to nearly 40% of young (25-44) women in Spain.

October 9, 2010 - A new study conducted at the Polytechnic University of Cartagena found that once you factor in health-care and early-death costs of smoking, each pack of cigarettes costs up to $150. The study, published in the Spanish Journal of Public Health, used Spain's public health and labour data to crunch the numbers. (Paper: Spain - cost of each pack of cigarettes up to $150..)

CNN VIDEO - Smoking at Spanish restaurants, bars banned by Al Goodman, CNN, 1/2/2011, CNN World, 1/2/2011.

Also, Spain's bars go smoke-free in tough new law, Agence France-Presse (AFP), 1/2/2011.

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