Palma town hall will reduce terrace tax by five per cent if bars and restaurants opt to 'ban' smoking on terraces.
This measure was announced on Friday after the mayor, Jaime Martínez, met the president of the Spanish Association Against Cancer in the Balearics, José Reyes, and the president of the CAEB Restaurants Association, Alfonso Robledo.
There is an agreement between the two associations whereby bars and restaurants can declare their terraces smoke-free. Reyes thanked the town hall for joining the campaign. "It is an example of how the authorities and the association can work together until there is a broadening of the national anti-smoking law."
The campaign is #RespiroLibre. Robledo applauded the fact that Palma is the first town hall to join this campaign.
While this is being referred to as a ban, it is something that relies on people's goodwill. In the same way as there are smoke-free beaches in Mallorca, so there are smoke-free terraces. But there is at present no law to enforce no smoking.
As to how much of a financial incentive this is depends on how large the terrace is and where it is. Seventy-five square metres in the most popular areas of the city can be 40,000 euros or so per annum. Elsewhere the rates are very much lower.