Spain prepares for smoking ban in workplaces

Spain launched a campaign today to make smokers aware of the need to respect no-smoking spaces, two days before parliament was expected to give final approval to a ban on smoking in the workplace.

More than 50,000 Spaniards die each year as a direct result of smoking, and 700 from passive smoking, the Health Ministry said, adding that the habit killed more people than AIDS and workplace and traffic accidents together.