Barcelona ‘to ban smoking outdoors’

People will no longer be able to smoke in designated outdoor areas of bars and restaurants in Catalonia, under new proposals.

Smoking in public places was banned in Spain in January 2011, although smokers were permitted to use the outside terraces of establishments, according to Catalan News.

At the time, some business owners feared they would lose custom because of the rules, the news website reported.

However health authorities in Catalonia, whose capital is Barcelona, now want to go one step further and eradicate smoking from all outdoor terraces of bars and restaurants in the region.

Officials claim the law is often ignored by people using enclosed outdoor areas and they plan to carry out inspections, The Guardian reports.

It is understood the proposed changes could come into effect within the next year.

Smoking could also be prohibited inside vehicles, open-air sports centers, bus shelters and train stations under the new rules.

The Catalan government announced plans to ban smoking in private vehicles, outdoor sports facilities and near public transport stops on World No-Tobacco Day in May this year, according to Catalan News.

Nationwide, the Spanish government is also planning to raise the cost of tobacco.

According to Eurostat, the number of smokers in Spain has fallen to about 22 percent.

This is above the EU average of 18 percent and the UK average of 13 percent.

The new rules in Spain are aimed at bringing the country in line with other European countries such as the UK.