Spain shutting down restaurant for defying smoking ban

The owner of the restaurant -- El Asador Guadalmina near the popular southern Mediterranean resort of Marbella -- earlier this week defiantly told Spanish media he would not pay a nearly $200,000 fine for allowing clients to smoke in his locale, despite the new law which prohibits smoking in all indoor bars and restaurants; Kazinform refers to CNN.

A health inspector accompanied by local police was to go to the restaurant later Thursday to inform the owner of the closure order and shut the establishment, a spokeswoman for the Andalusia regional government health department told CNN.

"This restaurant has been in non-compliance since the law began," said a spokesman for Spain's national health ministry. "From what we know, this is the first case in the country" of a restaurant closure order.

Even before the new smoking law took effect last January 2, the restaurant posted signs which read, "As a private business, making use of what we understand to be our rights, this law will not be applied in our establishment."

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