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Spain pushes ahead with plans to ban smoking on bar terraces
Sweeping changes include fines for parents, expanded smoke-free zones, and big penalties for tobacco promotion
Spain’s government is pressing ahead with some of its toughest anti-smoking measures yet, following months of heated debate and building on reforms first floated earlier this year.Bigger ban: smoke-free spaces expand outdoors
One of the most eye-catching measures in the draft bill is the massive expansion of smoke-free zones. That means it won’t just be indoor public spaces that are covered anymore; bar and restaurant terraces, outdoor events, sports facilities, playgrounds, bus stops and platforms, parks, and anywhere near schools and sports centres (with at least a 15 metre buffer), will also be smoke-free if the bill is passed.
The law scoops up new products too, treating e-cigarettes, vapes, shishas, nicotine pouches, and heated tobacco devices in exactly the same way as cigarettes.
Ban on minors lighting up - and fines for parents
Under the new law that has cleared its first hurdle in the Council of Ministers, not only is the sale of tobacco prohibited for under-18s, but possession and smoking by minors will now result in fines up to 100 euros for their parents. “This measure strengthens the protection of children and adolescents,” explained Health Minister Mónica García, who stressed that the main goal is to push down smoking rates and stop young people from ever starting. The government cites an urgent need for action, reminding the public that tobacco use claims 140 lives every day in Spain.
Curbing marketing and banning single-use vapes
Another headline measure is a total ban on all advertising, promotion, and sponsorship of tobacco and related products, including on digital channels, in hospitality venues, and at public events, with penalties for violations soaring up to 600,000 euros. The law would also stamp out the sale of disposable e-cigarettes entirely, over their environmental impact and popularity among teenagers lured by flavoured varieties.
What happens next?
The anti-smoking bill will go back to the Council of Ministers for further debate, then on to congress. Some measures, such as plain packaging and VAT hikes, were dropped from the final draft, with only the most targeted restrictions surviving. Health Minister García said, “Today we are taking an important step in the fight against smoking.” She pointed out that Spain has previously led the way in tobacco control, introducing an indoor ban in 2005 and extending it to bars and restaurants in 2010, adding “now we want to be that again.”
If passed into law, these moves would see Spain take one of its boldest steps yet towards a smoke-free future, restricting both tobacco and related products more than ever before.
Image: Kristina/Pixabay
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