The so-called "Spanish model" - Tobacco industry strategies and its impact in Europe and Latin America

Tobacco industry documents research triangulated against news and media reports.As an alternative to the successful implementation of 100% smoke-free policies, several European and Latin American countries introduced partial smoking bans based on the so-called "Spanish model", a legal framework widely advocated by parts of the hospitality industry with striking similarities to "accommodation programmes" promoted by the tobacco industry in the late 1990s. These developments started with the implementation of the Spanish tobacco control law (Ley 28/2005) in 2006 and have increased since then.The Spanish experience demonstrates that partial smoking bans often resemble tobacco industry strategies and are used to spread a failed approach on international level. Researchers, advocates and policy makers should be aware of this ineffective policy.The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), which was ratified by 174 parties (as of September 2011) including Spain, calls inter alia for the implementation of comprehensive smokefree policies [1]. In January 2006 the Spanish government enacted its former "tobacco control law" (Ley 28/2005), which implemented many measures covered by the FCTC (restrictions on tobacco sales, comprehensive advertising bans, smoking bans at workplaces, etc.), but also allowed owners of "small" hospitality venues (smaller than 100 m2) to choose whether smoking should be allowed in their venues or not [2]. Between 2006 and 2010, tobacco taxes have risen, overt promotion has decreased, overall exposure to second hand smoke has declined, and access to cessation advice and services has increased. Muggli et al. thoroughly described the genesis of this legislation and Granero et al. showed the involvement of different actors, especially those favouring Tobacco Industry interests [3,4]. In this case study we restrict our focus to the so-called "Spanish model" of non-smokers' protection in hospitality venues and its simil