The Spanish Council of Ministers has approved a draft for a new anti-tobacco law that will legally equate conventional cigarettes with vapes (e-cigarettes) and significantly expand smoke-free and vape-free zones across the country. The proposed legislation, which must pass a second review by the Council before heading to parliament, aims to ban smoking and vaping in numerous new public spaces, most notably the outdoor terraces of bars and restaurants.
Health Minister Mónica García justified the new law by stating "there is no such thing as healthy tobacco," and there is no evidence that "the use of alternative devices... reduces addiction to smoking." The new rules are a response to the emergence of new products and public health needs.
Key changes proposed in the new anti-tobacco law include:
- Ban on smoking and vaping on the terraces of bars and restaurants.
- Prohibition at bus stops, outdoor party venues, and gambling establishments.
- Ban in work vehicles, educational centers, sports facilities, and public swimming pools.
- A 15-meter smoke-free and vape-free perimeter around healthcare facilities, educational centers, and children's playgrounds.
- A comprehensive ban on advertising and sponsorship of tobacco and vape products, with fines for violations potentially reaching up to €600,000.
- The elimination of "smokers' clubs."
However, two highly anticipated measures were excluded from the current draft due to a lack of agreement within the coalition government: **generic (plain) packaging** and a significant price increase through higher taxation. Anti-smoking organizations like the National Committee for the Prevention of Smoking (CNPT) and Nofumadores.org have expressed deep disappointment, arguing the government is yielding to tobacco industry pressure. They point to the success of plain packaging in countries like Australia, where consumption fell 15% in two years, and note that 25 countries have already adopted the measure.
Despite progress since Spain's first anti-tobacco law in 2006, which has seen smoking rates decline, a recent study by the Spanish Society of Epidemiology (SEE) indicates that 8 million people still smoke in Spain, with only one in four having attempted to quit.
