The tour of Spain by the Smokers’ for Tolerance Club
PROHIBITED TO PROHIBIT
High place and clear, recovering this motto and making it his, Smokers’ for Tolerance Club has passed the summer visiting beaches and tourist zones. The aim, to inform the Spaniards about the drastic measurements that it tries to impose the Government on the smokers and to help to improve the image of these.
Smokers’ for Tolerance has crossed thousands of kilometres to take its message to those who have wanted to hear them. With the round one “Prohibited to prohibit” shining in its vests, it has landed on the whole coast distributing 25.000 ecological ashtrays and gathering signatures of support. An initiative that led them also to cities of the interior of the country, with the intention of taking care of the image of the smokers and they to inform about the restrictions to the consumption of tobacco that they will enter in force in January 1st 2006.
The campaign, which began in Madrid, spread during every August over the rest Spain. It first destine Tenerife (Canary Islands) and, in the beach of Las Teresitas, among parasols, ashtrays and signatures, we knew Fran, a programmer of Cuenca (Castilla-La Mancha, a big region in center Spain) that did not want to believe it: “I had heard something but I thought that it was an exaggeration. How they are going to give the orders to smoke us to the street? Sure that they leave us to go out to the corridor or they give us a room …”. We explain it to him: the Project of Law that raises Health prohibits totally the consumption of tobacco in the centers of work, public and private, from January 1st, 2006. He was not able to go out of his amazement, but neither we were, as we find out that hundreds of people are thinking that the new law was just a rumor. We verify that people know the intentions of the Ministry of Health because, simply, they do not conceive so restrictive law in our country.
And the same thing happened in Vigo (Galcia, north-west Spain), Gijon (Asturias, north), Santander (Cantabria, north), Barcelona (Catalonia, north-east), Valencia (Valencia, east)… Rosa, that was with her husband on holiday in Alicante (Valencia, east), was commenting on us “in my work there are smokers’ zones and it works. If already we have organized not to bother to those who do not smoke, why they are going to take them from us now?”. And while he was employed at a stall of Murcia (Murcia, south-east), Ricardo was breathing heavily “since I did not think that was so serious. Anyway, us we agree between all that it was possible to smoke in the staff room and my chief knows it. Nonetheless the Government prohibits it?”. We told him that it was going to be that way in only four months and that if they continue smoking in the staff-room they could start receiving fines that range between 600 and 10.000 Euros. The sight clouded over and asked us for a vest “I think myself to put very much and to tell to the whole world what it means”.
But not only the smokers are scandalized. Marta and Carlos, that they were spending their last day in San Sebastian (The Basque Country, north of Spain), were infuriated when we went to speak with them. “We have listened to you and we go awhile speaking on the topic”. Marta has never smoked, but she does not think is fair: “it seems to me likely that is prohibited to smoke in places closed without ventilation, but it of which they do not allow that it should be done somewhere of the building am not understood by me”. And Carlos was entrusting us worried: “I am the owner of a small company. My staff decided to smoke in the office, communicated it to me and it seemed to me likely, nobody was in against. Now I have that to prohibit in order that they do not sanction me. Without any alternative, tiny Law not?”. Cases and similar questions repeated themselves in the rest of our trip: Toledo (Casilla-La Mancha), Malaga (Andalucia, south of Spain), Pamplona (Navarra, north), Zaragoza (Arag?n, north), Palma de Mallorca (Balear Islands), Cadiz (Andaluc?a), Badajoz (Extremadura, south west of Spain) and Valladolid (Castilla y Le?n, center).
What logical answer can be given to the more than ten million people (one third of the Spanish adult population) who smoke in our country when we know that the Project of Law of Regulatory of the Sale, the Supply, the Consumption and the Advertising of the Tobacco contemplates neither their rights nor freedom? Before such a violation, from The Smoker’s Club, Inc. Newsletter we have tried to inform the Spanish people about what is approached and, in our particular return to Spain, the mass media have done to themselves echo of our message. They have accompanied theirs teams of television broadcast, lots of informations have been published in papers and Smokers’ for Tolerance Club has taken part of many radio programs.
Thanks to them, which they lean us for years and to thousands of persons who have signed our cards in opposition to the Project of Law. Among all, we achieve that Spain does not appear in the list of countries that treat the smokers like pest. The following step, to deliver our protests to the Prime minister, Rodr?guez Zapatero, and to trust in his mien in order that he allows smokers’ rooms.
August 25, 2005
Prohibido Prohibir
http://www.prohibidoprohibir.org/
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La vuelta a Espa?a del Club de Fumadores por la Tolerancia
PROHIBIDO PROHIBIR
Alto y claro, recuperando este lema y haci?ndolo suyo, el Club de Fumadores por la Tolerancia ha pasado el verano visitando playas y zonas tur?sticas. El objetivo, informar a los espa?oles sobre las dr?sticas medidas que pretende imponer el Gobierno a los fumadores y contribuir a mejorar la imagen de estos.
El Club de Fumadores por la Tolerancia ha recorrido miles de kil?metros para llevar su mensaje a quienes les han querido o?r. Con un rotundo “Prohibido prohibir” luciendo en sus camisetas, ha desembarcado en toda la costa repartiendo 25.000 ceniceros ecol?gicos y recogiendo firmas de apoyo. Una iniciativa que les llev? tambi?n a ciudades del interior, con la intenci?n de cuidar la imagen de los fumadores e informarles de las restricciones al consumo de tabaco que entrar?n en vigor en 2006.
La campa?a, que comenz? en Madrid, se extendi? durante todo el mes de agosto por el resto Espa?a. Primer destino Tenerife y, en la playa de Las Teresitas, entre sombrillas, ceniceros y firmas, conocimos a Fran, un programador de Cuenca que no se lo quer?a creer: “Hab?a o?do algo pero pens? que era una exageraci?n. ?C?mo nos van a mandar a fumar a la calle? Seguro que nos dejan salir al pasillo o nos dan una sala…”. Se lo explicamos: el Proyecto de Ley que plantea Sanidad proh?be totalmente el consumo de tabaco en los centros de trabajo, p?blicos y privados, a partir del 1 de enero de 2006. No sal?a de su asombro, pero nosotros tampoco porque, como Juan Luis, nos encontramos a cientos de personas que pensaban que s?lo se trataba de un rumor. Comprobamos que la gente desconoce las intenciones del Ministerio de Sanidad porque, simplemente, no conciben una ley tan restrictiva en nuestro pa?s.
Y lo mismo ocurri? en Vigo, Gij?n, Santander, Barcelona, Valencia… Rosa, que estaba con su marido veraneando en Alicante, nos comentaba “en mi trabajo hay zonas de fumadores y funciona. Si ya nos hemos organizado para no molestar a los que no fuman, ?por qu? nos las van a quitar ahora?”. Y mientras trabajaba en un chiringuito de Murcia, Ricardo resoplaba “pues yo no pens? que era tan grave. De todas formas, nosotros acordamos entre todos que se pod?a fumar en la sala de empleados y mi jefe lo sabe. ?A?n as? lo proh?be el Gobierno?”. Le dijimos que s? y que, dentro de cuatro meses, si siguen fumando empezar?n a recibir multas que oscilan entre 600 y 10.000 euros. Se le nubl? la vista y nos pidi? una camiseta “me la pienso poner mucho y contarle a todo el mundo lo que significa”.
Pero no s?lo los fumadores se escandalizan. Marta y Carlos, que pasaban su ?ltimo d?a en San Sebasti?n, estaban indignados cuando fuimos a hablar con ellos. “Os hemos escuchado y llevamos un rato hablando sobre el tema”. Marta no ha fumado nunca, pero no le parece justo: “Me parece bien que se proh?ba fumar en sitios cerrados sin ventilaci?n, pero lo de que no permitan que se haga en alguna parte del edificio no lo entiendo”. Y Carlos nos confiaba preocupado: “Yo tengo una peque?a empresa. Mis empleados decidieron fumar en la oficina, me lo comunicaron y a m? me pareci? bien, nadie estaba en contra. Ahora yo tengo que prohib?rselo para que no me sancionen. Sin ninguna alternativa, menuda Ley ?no?”. Casos y preguntas similares se repitieron en el resto de nuestro viaje: Toledo, M?laga, Pamplona, Zaragoza,
Mallorca, C?diz, Badajoz y Valladolid.
?Qu? respuesta l?gica se le puede dar a los m?s de diez millones de personas que fuman en nuestro pa?s cuando sabemos que el Proyecto de Ley de Reguladora de la Venta, el Suministro, el Consumo y la Publicidad del Tabaco no contempla sus derechos ni libertades?
Ante tal atropello, desde el Club hemos pretendido informar a los espa?oles de lo que se avecina y, en nuestra particular vuelta a Espa?a, los medios de comunicaci?n se han hecho eco de nuestro mensaje. Nos han acompa?ado equipos de televisi?n, se han publicado numerosas informaciones en prensa y el Club de Fumadores por la Tolerancia ha intervenido en muchos programas de radio.
Gracias a ellos, a los que nos apoyan desde hace a?os y a las miles de personas que han firmado nuestras tarjetas en contra del Proyecto de Ley. Puede que entre todos, consigamos que Espa?a no figure en la lista de pa?ses que tratan a los fumadores como apestados. El siguiente paso, entregar al Presidente del Gobierno nuestras protestas y confiar en su talante para que permita salas de fumadores.
August 25, 2005
Prohibido Prohibir
http://www.prohibidoprohibir.org/
