Smoking In Spain

As an ex smoker I always attempt to avoid the hypocrite step, I've not smoked for over 5 years having smoked for some 50 years previously. It is far cheaper to smoke cigarettes in Spain, I haven't noticed massive e-cigarette sales and usage in Spain, and just wonder if cost is the main criterea for reduced smoking in the UK and business as usual in Spain.  

As you no longer smoke, you probably haven't been to a tobacconists for some time. They all sell e-cigs or "vapes". Every shopping mall near us has at least two of these stalls set up and there are several shops even in our little town that sell them.

Since the indoor ban on smoking it has dropped 32% and was coming down even before that. I very rarely see young Spaniards smoking anymore even though the older ones seem to be puffing as much as usual.

34% of men smoke in Spain which is still far too high compared with, say, UK at 23%. It is nice to go into a non-smokey bar and, of course, the good weather here makes it possible for smokers to stay outdoors longer than other places.

(I gave up well over 25 years ago now but, I admit, I still fancy one now and again.)

I think the smoking ban, the price increase and the economic crisis has all led to a fall in smokers. When I gave up seven years ago, a pack of cigarettes was €2.50 and now it's over €4 and that's a big difference. There was an e-cigs shop in the shopping centre near us with queues outside the door every day while they had the free trial offer. When the offer ended there was never a soul in there and now it's closed down and I have to admit, I've not seen anyone with an e-cig for a while.

Try £8.00 for 20, I find the price totally ridiculous, however it stopped me from smoking so what the heck?

Lots of smokers seem to try e-cigarettes as an alternative to trying to give up, but as soon as they run out of cartridges they go and buy more cigs or tobacco. People should grow up and realise that a) nicotine (in e-cigs too) is the addictive element so they continue to be drug addicts; b) all they are doing is putting lots of hard-earned money into fat people's pockets and c) illnesses associated with smoking are manifold, horrible and long-lasting.  Most of us smoked as youngsters and up to our 30s. Anyone still doing so is an idiot!!! Sorry if this is a bit extreme but it really is a no-brainer.

The medical profession's opinion appears to differ from yours casalinda.

I used to be part of the NHS and I know how wimpish that organisation can be sometimes...it's 15 years since we tried to introduce no smoking in mental health institutions, prisons etc. and even hospitals were reluctant...the e-cigarette is better than nothing (no tar etc) but nothing would be a real achievement!!!

Well done to you guys for giving up smoking...not easy!  The ban in public, indoor places opened up our social life some years back.  As an asthma sufferer, cigarette smoke can leave me very wheezy and short of breath...so we just had to stay out of pubs and restaurants. The vape doesn't affect me at all, though.

I could never imagine leaving home without a full 20 pack, however only 64 months later I can't imagine why I smoked at all. If this helps anyone, during the early days post quitting I didn't think of cigarettes every minute, however I did get circa 6 really bad hits a day that could have tempted me onto e-cigarettes, the hits only last for a few months, eating something helps but I managed to put on 2 stones in weight, however I have managed to shed myself of one and a half of them.

So life's good, I'm age 68, six feet two tall and 14-7 in weight, I feel well, do a lot of dog walking and am certain that I will never smoke anything again, however my wife resorted to e-cigarettes and I'm not about to rubbish her efforts on getting herself off the dreaded weed.