HEALTH minister Trinidad Jiménez (pictured) has threatened to ban smoking in all public places – including bars and restaurants.

Since the anti-smoking law came into effect on January 1, 2006, all bars over 120 square metres – not counting the kitchen, bar and toilets – had to choose whether to allow smoking on their premises.

Those who opted to let customers smoke were forbidden to allow under-18s enter the premises and were obliged to build separate smoking zones with extractor fans.

Almost all other public buildings and commercial premises were forced to ban smoking.

But the ministry of health says that although a million people in Spain have given up smoking since January 2006, the law does not have sufficient impact.

They believe Spain is ‘now ready for a total ban’ and commented that most other European countries have stopped letting people smoke in public places.

Additionally, Spain will shortly follow the UK’s lead and show graphic pictures of black lungs, rotting teeth and tumours on internal tissues on cigarette packets to discourage people from smoking.