Smoking and drinking banned by Basques in stadiums

On Thursday, the Basque Country Parliament passed a ban on the consumption of alcohol and tobacco in both sports stadiums and bull fighting rings.

According to this new law, the ‘sale or supply’ of alcoholic beverages are to be prohibited in facilities ‘where people perform sports competitions, as well as health clinics, public clinics or social services’.

The law also prohibits the consumption ‘in all enclosed and semi-enclosed public spaces, places accessible to the general public or places for collective use, regardless of whether they are public or private’.

Interestingly, the Addictions Law will now limit e-cigarettes making it the first autonomous region to do so by limiting its use in bars and restaurants according to broadcaster RTVE.

Basque Health Minister Jon Darpon has called this a “comprehensive, advanced and modern” initiative on Twitter. 

These new rules are intended to “respond to the needs and expectations of our society, for now and for the future” said Darpon in a public statement. 

The law still permits the practice of cannabis clubs yet these establishments and its clients are to be regulated according to Spanish media.

Fines can range from €600 to €600,000 on violation of the law as well as temporary or even total closure of a location.