Smoking is a harmful habit: we know it, you know it, the smokers know it. No matter how much health organizations fight against that habit, tell everyone about the ways of quitting, there are and will always be two categories of people, smokers and non-smokers. Europe has become a great place for non-smokers, while the rest have to look for country regulations and bans, find bars and cafes with a smoking room, and so on.
So, here is some information on smoking in Lisbon.
Portugal passed a law on smoking regulations in 2008. Since then you can’t smoke indoors. Be it a cafe, your hotel, a bar, a museum, or anything else. If it’s got a roof and four walls, you can’t light a cigarette, tobacco, or a pipe there.
We should probably forget about the museums and other cultural attractions. If you can’t wait for two hours then you should never visit Berardo Museum or any other museum and miss all the fun.
On the contrary, you can smoke near the monuments. No one can fine you for smoking around the Monument of Discoveries, for example.
The majority of hotels in Lisbon have a non-smoking policy. But even here there’s a small number of hotels with special areas designated for smoking. Sometimes there are even rooms for smokers.
The most unbelievable regulation applies to bars and pubs. They all are indoor areas, and if they don’t have the sign approving smoking, keep the cigarettes in the bag.
Fines
Fines can be normal or outrageous. They range from €50 to €700 for smokers caught in non-smoking areas. The owners of that non-smoking areas will be charged for €50- 1000. This is where the major flaw is. Why would someone risk so much money, if they can simply hang the blue smoking sign?
All indoor areas can have special rooms or designated areas for smoking. If they wish so, they can also claim their style as a place for smokers.
The Reality
Despite the law and all kinds of regulations, smoking is very common in Lisbon. Obviously law officers can’t keep all indoor areas under control. This is why the atmosphere is relaxed. If you make sure to keep out of awkward situations like smoking next to a pregnant woman (because the results might be fatal), then you can easily smoke in all bars and pubs. Some cafes also have outdoor tables, which automatically make you a person acting withing the limits of the law.
Restaurants might be a problem. It depends on the style. If you’re looking for a nice and classy restaurant to try international cuisine as well, then smoking will most probably be forbidden. If you’re looking for a friendly place to try the Portuguese dishes and meet some locals, you’re OK to smoke as much as you like.
Moreover, no matter which brand of cigarettes you prefer, you will most probably get them really cheap.
Due to the smoking law, Portugal boasts about its 5% decrease of the smoking population. This is great, but the numbers should be even higher next year.