68,9% of Spaniards are in favor of a total ban on smoking in restaurants and 60,3% in bars and clubs, according to the latest Eurobarometer figures, dedicated to analyzing the situation of smoking in the European Union.

While many EU countries have adopted strict rules prohibiting smoking in all bars and restaurants, Spain brought in less restrictive rules.

Spanish law leaves it to the owners of bars of less than 100 square meters to decide whether or not to allow smoking. In restaurants, clubs or halls and larger bars you can define a specific space for smokers.

Opposing the 68,9%, 14,4% remained totally against any restriction and 13% say they are just against it. As for the ban in bars and clubs, the percentage of Spaniards in favor of banning smoking is 60,3% .

The survey of the EU, whose field work was conducted last December, also reveals that 5,8% of Spaniards are still exposed to smoking in their workplace for periods of over five hours, and 3% between one and five hours.

These percentages are exceeded only in countries like Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania. In Spain smoking is prohibited in the workplace, but employees in the hotel sector still suffer exposure to smoke from customers in restaurants, bars and clubs.

In Spain, 31% of people smoke regularly or occasionally, a percentage that is higher than the European average of 27.