Delays in Smoking Ban Enforcement
The Spanish government has failed to take the initiative once again and legislate for a total ban on smoking in public places. It now seems that the total ban has had a stay of execution. The reasons for the possible delay may just be political and of course it could just be another example of Spanish procrastination.
Governments that bring in legislation, as this government did in 2005 and then back tracks when voices of dissention are heard, starts to lose credibility with the general public. They have made ammendments to the 2005 act and now these may not reach Congress until the holiday season starts. It is now rumoured that the law will not be implemented until 2011, at least for bars and restaurants.
Cynics will say that the reasons for the delay are far more political expediency. There is a Spanish election coming up in the next 12 months and maybe the PSOE are seeing a loss of the “smoker´s vote “. There is also pressure from the tobacco industry and the service industries to delay for fear of job losses.
The service industries are also fearing the increase in IVA and together with a ban on smoking they feel that it will end all chances of a revival in their economy.What they don´t take into account is the fact that with a smoking ban in place they may actually increase their revenue as smokers keep a large number of non-smokers out of these facilities. This is a very confusing situation for everyone and the government needs to address it very quickly. Passive smoking for those who work in bars, restaurants and cafes is not a good thing.
As with most things in life, ingenuity usually overcomes adversity and there is a window of opportunity available for individuals with an entrpreneurial flair with a business opportunity to build a residual income from the growing electronic cigarette industry.
Electronic cigarettes are seen as a logical alternative to tobacco especially in countries such as the US and UK where bans have been in place for some time. A US company, inLife is currently expanding rapidly across the UK and has plans to open in Spain in the coming months.
The company which uses Network marketing to distribute its electronic cigarettes and new inFocus energy drink allows individuals to leverage a large residual income in a market woth 20 billion Euros a year.
Those who see the potential for positioning themselves ahead of the paradigm shift in social behaviour in Spain should contact Regional Director (Europe) Neil Ebsworth at e-mail neil@myinlife.co.uk or visit www.myinlife.es