Earlier attempts by Portugal’s government to ban smoking in public are still sitting on the shelf much to the delight of the country’s smoking brigade.

The study concentrated on bars, restaurants and nightclubs, as well as train stations, airports and hospitals. It said that most governments throughout the EUbloc are still having the “coffers versus coffins debate”, weighing up the “undeniable health benefits” of banning smoking against the loss of tax revenues from cigarettes and cigars.

So far, the only EU member states to impose public smoking bans are Ireland, Italy, Malta, Sweden and Scotland with England and Lithuania set to follow suit next year.

EU health spokesman Philip Todd told the AFP news agency that “there is a debate underway on how to tackle passive smok ing and the noxious effects of smoking in public places”. He indicated that it was probable the European Commission would step up its efforts to persuade countries such as Portugal, Belgium and the ten new EU member states which joined the Union in 2004 to implement antismoking legislation in public places by 2008.

Todd added that the Commission would also be looking to persuade those member states that already have “partial” antismoking laws in place to extend them to bars and restaurants.

In Austria, Germany and Spain where partial bans have been imposed, there is no ban at all on smoking in bars and restaurants.