In a joint statement, the various organisations, joined by
the hotel, tourism, restaurant and similar industry workers' union in the
North, point out that "no air renewal/extraction, ventilation or
compartmentalization/separation of spaces is effective to eliminate tobacco
smoke and/or ensure indoor air quality".
"The science is clear that ventilation systems, smoking
rooms and smoking areas/sections do not protect against the health hazards
caused by secondhand smoke. The only known way to reduce the risks associated
with secondhand smoke is with 100% smoke free environments", insists the
group of organizations, which integrates the Portuguese societies of dentistry
and occupational medicine.
Also signed by patient associations such as Respira and the
Ordem dos Farmacêuticos, as well as by Brazilian and Spanish organizations, the
statement calls on the owners and managers of these spaces to become “totally
free of tobacco smoke and aerosols from electronic devices”.
"This exposure is harmful from the point of view of
promoting and protecting health, not only due to the potentially present smoke,
but also because it normalizes and promotes the consumption of tobacco and
electronic nicotine devices", say the organizations.
In the note released today, the Portuguese Society of
Pneumology also appeals to the Portuguese population not to frequent spaces
that could provide the presence of tobacco smoke or aerosols from electronic
cigarettes and to "exercise their right and duty of citizenship, expressing
their displeasure at living with such situations in spaces that they would like
to frequent as smoke-free".
They also call for the reporting of cases of violations of the tobacco smoke protection law.
Related article - New smoking rules coming in
Is this still the smoking indoors´ debate? (When I can´t see which places these might be, - nightclubs, perhaps? - because Coffee places I pass, only outdoors do I see people smoking.)
By guida from Lisbon on 22 Jan 2023, 09:43
Thank YOU Guida for only smoking outdoors; not everyone is so considerate as you and your many insightful posts. On my last trip to Portugal in April I was at a club in Lisbon on the dance floor when out of nowhere this person smoking and waving hands in the air holding a cigarette slammed it into my face! It burned my face and left a burn and mark for weeks and all that person said was "Oh sorry." I had no recourse. That is absolutely inconsiderate of others that these establishments don't force people to go outside to smoke; wait until it happens to YOU! ALL indoor establishments with a license in the US forbid smoking indoors let alone even in restaurants in Lisbon. Do they think the smoke is going to stay in one place like behind a rope. That's the #1 COMPLAINT ABOUT PORTUGAL FROM TOURISTS THAT BOLSTER YOUR ECONOMY! Psychiatrists say people that smoke are not only addicted to the drug Nicotine but are "self destructive" when there are sooo many ways to quit these days and think of the $ they'll save. Go online and compare the lungs of smokers and non, one set is like black jelly. Is that what people worked all your lives for to be sick, get lung cancer and maybe be on oxygen or develop Asthma? Chew the gum, use the patch, take care of yourselves people as there is enough negativity to deal with these days. I quit 30 years ago.
By Wes from USA on 23 Jan 2023, 06:17
What about alcohol free? Causes more social problems than smoking. I’m not a smoker, in case you are wondering.
By Ian from Beiras on 23 Jan 2023, 06:56