Smoking in Portugal
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| No Smokers Sign |
Portugal has a typically flexible approach to smoking in its cafes and bars.
As in many other countries in the EU, Portugal introduced a smoking ban in public places on January 1 2008.
However bars and cafes can opt to be classified as "smoking bars" if they follow a set of strict guidelines and install adequate ventilation. Portuguese bars smaller than 100 square meters (1,076 square feet) cannot allow smoking.
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| Smoking Allowed |
Look out for the signs on the door of the cafe: blue smoking; red no-smoking.
Smokers who break the law face fines of up to €1000 and businesses that flout the legislation will face a fine of up to €2500.
Interestingly, Antonio Nunes, the president of Portugal's food standards agency, which enforces the anti-smoking legislation, was photographed smoking a cigar in a Lisbon casino, the very day the law came in to effect. In May of 2008, Portugal's Prime Minister José Sócrates lit up in the first class section of a flight to Caracas, unaware he was also breaking the law.
Smoking Statistics
In 2022, 1.9 million people in Portugal were tobacco users (11.5% of the population), which is less than many European countries. Bulgaria has the highest percentage of smokers in Europe (28.7%); Sweden the lowest (6.4%).
In 2019, tobacco consumption caused 13,847 deaths in Portugal, representing 12.3% of total mortality among the Portuguese population aged ≥35 years. Of the total SAM (Smoking-attributable mortality), 71.2% occurred in men and 22.2% in those under 65 years; 42.5% was due to cancer, 35.4% to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and 22.2% to respiratory diseases. [Reference: Portuguese Society of Pulmonology (Sociedade Portuguesa de Pneumologia/SPP).
*Update - As of January 1, 2023, smoking is only permitted in certain areas of bars in Portugal. These areas must meet specific requirements, including:
Size: The area must be at least 100 square meters
Ceiling height: The ceiling must be at least 3 meters high
Ventilation: The smoking area must have ventilation and extraction equipment
Separation: The smoking area must be separated from the rest of the bar by a ventilated antechamber with automatic sliding doors
Antechamber: The antechamber must be at least 4 square meters and properly ventilated
Yesterday May 31 was "World No Smoking Day."
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| Ashtray with a message in Guimarães |
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