Smoking in Portugal
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| No Smokers Sign |
Portugal has a typically flexible approach to smoking in its cafes and bars.
As in many other countries in the EU, Portugal introduced a smoking ban in public places on January 1 2008.
However bars and cafes can opt to be classified as "smoking bars" if they follow a set of strict guidelines and install adequate ventilation. Portuguese bars smaller than 100 square meters (1,076 square feet) cannot allow smoking.
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| Smoking Allowed |
Look out for the signs on the door of the cafe: blue smoking; red no-smoking.
Smokers who break the law face fines of up to €1000 and businesses that flout the legislation will face a fine of up to €2500.
Interestingly, Antonio Nunes, the president of Portugal's food standards agency, which enforces the anti-smoking legislation, was photographed smoking a cigar in a Lisbon casino, the very day the law came in to effect. In May of 2008, Portugal's Prime Minister José Sócrates lit up in the first class section of a flight to Caracas, unaware he was also breaking the law.
Yesterday was "World No Smoking Day."
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| Ashtray with a message |
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