Naughty Naughty Spaniards...People might be watching

If there is something that our betters hate is people just doing what they think is right, despite the certain knowledge that it will annoy. To this end Spain is taking the role of the little boy and the WHO the Red Queen,

And with that she began nursing her child again, singing a sort of lullaby to it as she did so, and giving it a vio lent shake at the end of every line: -- --

"Speak roughly to your little boy,
And beat him when he sneezes;
He only does it to annoy,
Because he knows it teases."

Armando Peruga,the boss of the WHO's Tobacco Free Initiative had a hissy fit in Barcelona last week,

He said Spain's 2006 anti-smoking law - which allows bars and restaurants of less than 100 square metres to decide whether or not to allow smoking and lets larger establishments create separate smoking and non-smoking areas - has been latched onto by the tobacco industry as a tool for lobbying against the creation of stricter bans in other countries. Big Tobacco holds up the Spanish model as "an example to follow," he said.

The tobacco industry's use of the Spanish example has been effective in softening anti-smoking laws being developed in countries such as Turkey, Croatia, Uruguay and Peru, which were "close to adopting 100 per cent bans" but then opted for partial bans like Spain's, said Sr Peruga.

He called on Spain to immediately approve a complete ban on smoking in all indoor public places, saying the only effective model is a full prohibition with no exceptions.

We all love self determination and pluralism don't we? Unless of course it disagrees with us.

There again Sr Peruga needn't worry too much, Spain's democracy will be overuled by the EU when it gets its latest anti smoking Directive through.

(I am amused to note that Afganistan has been inveigled to sign up to the FCTC - after al tobacco is a treal threat to the health in that benighted land. Can you imagine the level of enforcement?)