Spain’s Congress now has a difficult choice to make – does it choose a course which will help people to be more healthy, or do they help bar and restaurant owners keep their tills ringing?
The Council of Ministers have approved a draft law which would stop smoking on bar and restaurant terraces, on beaches, near pools and schools and under 18s would be fined €200 for lighting up. Their decision now goes to Congress.
The fear is that bars and restaurants will be hit hard, with customers who do smoke staying away altogether, or leaving premises without lingering longer for drinks. The industry fear that 30,000 bars could close altogether and 300,000 jobs are at risk.
When the weather is warm it is pleasant for people to eat and drink outside – but not if you have people nearby puffing away on cigarettes or vaping, without a care where the smoke goes.
It’s the same problem both in Spain and in the UK – sadly there are too many people who are plain selfish.
Writing this takes me back to when I had to cover local Trades Council meetings some 50 years ago. It was all men and all smoked. After an hour or so you couldn’t see across the room and my eyes and nose were streaming. Men started coughing uncontrollably and although I smoked about 20 a day it was in that room I realised how stupid it was. And when I totted up how much smoking was costing I decided to give up and from that moment I haven’t smoked since. It wasn’t that hard and I commend that action to any of my readers who smoke. You can give up and you and your wallet will feel better!
120 MILLIONAIRES DISCOVER HUMANITY
Back in Victorian times entrepreneurs helped the poor by building model industrial villages, funding schools and hospitals, and establishing philanthropic trusts. Prominent industrialists used their personal fortunes to transform social welfare through corporate responsibility and civic giving.
Factory owners like Joseph Roundtree and the Cadbury family built planned garden villages with good sanitation, green spaces, and quality housing for workers.
Sadly today most multi millionaires want to hoard their wealth and employ financial “experts” to avoid paying as much tax as they possibly can.
So I was bowled over when I heard that new UK PM Andy Burnham had received a unlikely message from some of Britain’s millionaires calling themselves Patriotic Millionaires UK, saying: “make us pay more tax”.
Former BBC broadcaster Gary Lineker is among the 120 most wealthy in the UK who have said money raised through higher taxes on their personal wealth could help reduce inequality, support public infrastructure, and help small businesses.
In a letter to the new prime minister titled “Proud to Pay”, they said: “We’re not talking about higher taxes on those who get up and go to work for their income every day, but on the very richest whose income is derived from the wealth they hold.”
Around the world nearly 400 millionaires and billionaires across 24 countries have signed a letter to global leaders demanding to be taxed more, arguing that extreme wealth hoarding threatens societal stability.
It’s wonderful to see there is still some humanity left in the world. How about it Trump, Putin and Netanyahu – stop falling over your own egos and start doing some good for humanity.
DRIVEN FROM THE CLASSROOM
A sad news story in the UK is that bullying was now a main and growing factor in causing children to avoid going to school.
As many as 18% of young people are now missing school specifically to avoid bullying. That is physical bulling, but when combined with online social media harassment, an environment of severe anxiety is created which frequently leads to prolonged school refusal and poor mental health and there are many thousands not going to school because of it.
School bullying is also a recognised and serious issue in Spain, with studies showing that over 35% of students experience bullying or cyberbullying with children experiencing some form of peer harassment, with a significant portion involving physical violence.
I fail to understand why teachers do not appear to properly identify school bullies and adequately deal with them. Bullying is so harmful to children, it can stunt their education and damage the ability to form friendships.
I suffered badly when I was at an all boys school from aged eight to 11. I was the youngest and smallest in class and it was so bad I used to hide in empty classrooms, behind trees in the playground or go to a nearby park to avoid being constantly bashed up. It ended when the school prefects saw what was happening and gave the six or so bullies a real thrashing.
