The Spanish government has approved a draft law on the new anti-smoking regime in the country, which comes in the context of efforts to restrict young people's access to tobacco products and strengthen public health, EuroNews reported.

The law provides for the expansion of smoke-free areas, a ban on the sale of disposable electronic cigarettes, and a complete ban on the advertising of tobacco products. Shops will be expressly prohibited from selling tobacco products to minors, and if they are caught smoking, fines will be imposed directly on their parents.

Smoking and vaping (smoking electronic cigarettes) will be banned in commercial vehicles, swimming pools, university campuses, public transport stations, and on restaurant and bar terraces, among other public outdoor spaces.

Under the proposed reform, products such as electronic cigarettes, nicotine pouches, herbal products, and tobacco heating devices will be treated in the same way as traditional cigarettes. The law provides for three categories of violations.

Minor violations, punishable by fines between €100 and €600, include: smoking or vaping in prohibited areas, non-compliance with rules for sale in shops or vending machines, and tobacco use by minors – with the penalty being imposed directly on parents or guardians.

Serious violations, which will be punishable by fines ranging from €601 to €10,000, include: setting up smoking areas in unauthorized spaces, accumulating three penalties for smoking in prohibited places, selling single cigarettes or packs of less than 20 cigarettes, freely distributing tobacco products, and allowing minors to access vending machines for tobacco products.

Very serious violations, punishable by fines ranging from €10,001 to €600,000, will include advertising, promotion, and sponsorship of tobacco products in all media. The only exception will be specialized advertising in professional industry publications.

The Spanish government has stated that the reforms aim to adapt national legislation to new forms of tobacco use, strengthen the protection of public health, and limit the exposure of the population, especially young people, to tobacco products.

According to European Union data, about a quarter of Spaniards aged 15 and over are regular smokers. | BGNES