New smoking rules in Spain: what you need to know
The Spanish Government has approved the draft of a new anti-tobacco law that will significantly expand smoke-free areas across the country. For the first time, electronic cigarettes will be treated the same as conventional tobacco, meaning vaping will be banned in the same places as smoking.
The new law, described by Health Minister Mónica García as a “deep reform,” will ban smoking and vaping on hospitality terraces, at swimming pools, in university campuses, and under bus shelters.
It will also prohibit smoking within 15 metres of schools, hospitals, cultural or sports centres, and children’s playgrounds.
A step forward in public health
Speaking after the Council of Ministers approved the legislation, García said the reform represents “an important step in the fight against tobacco use” and prioritises the right to breathe clean air. She noted that smoking is still responsible for around 140 deaths every day in Spain, which is more than 50,000 a year.
The minister explained the five key points of the new rules:
- · More smoke-free zones, including bans on vaping and new products.
- · Stricter limits on tobacco and vaping advertising.
- · Ban on single-use electronic smoking devices.
- · Setting up a national centre to monitor and prevent tobacco use.
- · Better help to quit smoking offered through local health centres.
When implemented, the law will also regulate nicotine pouches, herbal products for smoking or vaping, and heated tobacco devices, making sure all new smoking and vaping products follow the same rules as cigarettes.
Next steps
The draft law has passed its first stage and will now be reviewed by Spain’s constitutional bodies before returning to the Council of Ministers and then moving on to Parliament. Health Minister Mónica García said she hopes for broad political support, stressing that “while there may not always be consensus on social issues, there is strong social consensus in favour of protecting health.”
If approved, the reform would place Spain once again at the forefront of Europe’s tobacco-control policies, bringing the law in line with new public health challenges and changing habits.
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