Smoke-Free Terraces In Mallorca

Palma City Council has announced its commitment to the #RespiroLibre campaign, championed by the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) in the Balearic Islands and the Mallorca Restoration Association – CAEB.

Palma becomes the first municipality to join the pioneering campaign which focuses on voluntarily prohibiting smoking on bar and restaurant terraces.

Mayor Jaime Martinez Llabres held a meeting with Dr Jose Reyes, president of the AECC in the Balearic Islands and Alfonso Robledo, the president of the Mallorca Restoration Association – CAEB.

During the meeting, the mayor revealed that establishments participating in the initiative would benefit from a five per cent reduction in the public road usage fee.

Dr Reyes, representing the AECC in the Balearic Islands, emphasised the campaign’s potential impact: ‘Eliminating the decrease in tobacco consumption would imply a 30 per cent decrease in the total number of cancer diagnoses we make in Spain each year.’

From this point of view, the AECC in the Balearic Islands has an agreement with the Balearic Islands Restoration Business Federation so that establishments that wish to do so can declare their terraces as smoke-free spaces.

‘We found it interesting to seek the collaboration of local entities to increase participation in this campaign.’ He appreciated the City Council’s support, noting, ‘It is an example of how you can work together from the Administration and the association until the expansion of the National anti-tobacco law.’

Alfonso Robledo expressed his satisfaction with Palma City Council being the first to join the RespiroLibre campaign. He hopes this initiative, particularly the reduction in the rate, will encourage more establishments to participate.

As part of the campaign, the City Council’s website will feature an information banner. This banner will provide details of participating establishments and share the Association’s prevention and healthy lifestyle messages, further promoting the campaign’s objectives.