First let me say that I'm not making any moral statement about smoking, nor is my intent to tell spaniards when they can smoke. That said, I react very strongly to the smell and cannot enjoy myself, particularly while eating, if I'm smelling cigarette smoke.

I was hoping to get a sense for how broadly supported the new smoking laws are? Are non-smoking sections generally available? Are they actually usefully distant from the smoking sections? Is there any way for me to politely ask these kinds of questions without coming off as an uptight american?

Thanks!
-- Ethan

smoking laws come in in july in england its been going on now for over 12 months in scotland and ireland. no smoking anywhere in the pubs and restaurants,landlords are up in arms saying it will stop trade.it is now in force at my works and people are grumbling you have to go off the premises to smoke. they are talking about erecting bus stop like covers for people to go outside and smoke but that will not work in city/town centres because of pedestrians. funny how the govenment need the tax from cigarettes but want to ban it (they will get it back in other ways probably tax beer even more!)it should be fun watching landlords try to throw loads of lads out of their pub who are smoking because they get the £2500.00 fine.

In the year or so that i've been in Spain I've had to get usedto the fact that smoking in bars and restaurants is pretty much a fact of life here in Madrid . I've never been a smoker and I don't like the smell , though , curiously , I "prefer" the smell of the European style black tobacco to that of the regular cigarettes available in my home country ( England ) .
Some restaurants here in Madrid are beginning to stop smoking but thay ar few and far between . And I have been to restaurants that have no smoking areas ... In general though . smoking is part of Spanish culture , and I find it hard to imagine how they would stop it . I've got used it now , and I would actually oppose the banning of smoking in public here in Spain . It would be like banning the bullfights or late night bars and clubs that Madrid is so famous for . They're all an integral part of the city .

Hello Ethan!

According to the new law:
Bars, night clubs and restaurants smaller than 100 square metres for customers use, can choose being smoking or non-smoking places.
Bars, night clubs and restaurants bigger than 100 square metres must have separated areas for smokers and non-smokers. The smokers area cannot be bigger than 30% of the total area destined for customers use.

It's completely forbidden to smoke at working places, hospitals, schools, indoor-sports facilities, shops, malls, shoping centers, concert halls and cinema or theatre halls. It's also totally banned to smoke at public transports such as taxis, buses, trains, underground and planes.
There can be separated areas for smokers at airports, indoor railway stations, cinemas and theatres (out of show hall).
The majority of the small bars and restaurants opted for being smoking places. Not all the big ones have separated areas, the simply don't respect the law, at least in Madrid.
At night clubs nobody respects the law, although there separated areas.

I am non-smoker and I hate smoke while eating, so I always ask for non-smoker tables. If they don't have them, I kindly say sorry and leave, unless the restaurant was a very good one.

Here you have the complete official text of the Ley Antitabaco:
http://www.boe.es/g/es/bases_datos/doc.php?coleccion=iberlex&id=2005/21261

Also I was hoping to get suggestions on how to ask about non-smoking sections without coming off as obnoxious. If that's possible, that is. 8-) What's the Castillano word for Asthma?

Asma or male=asmatico female=asmatica

i do not like smoking in restos either,but i am a non-smoker. But like Dàmian said, if it is really good resto then i put up with the smell if in a small corner of the place...:

Yo tengo la Asma? or Yo soy asmatico?

Sorry -- also some basic spanish for asking if there are non-smoking tables or sections.

I recommend that you eat/drink at places that have terrazas (outdoor dining/drinking). I think you are really going to confuse them if you start talking about medical conditions. Just ask for the zona (de) no fumadores.

The right sentence is "Yo soy asmatico". But you don't need to justify why you want to be in a non-smoking area, simply ask whether they have it or not.