The Ministry of Health has announced the next steps in its strategy against smoking in Spain. Once approved the plan that will serve as a guide for taking legislative measures – it was ready before the summer – Mónica García’s team finalizes a royal decree that will include three measures: the ban on the sale of disposable electronic cigarettes, the end flavors and the implementation of generic or neutral packaging which does not allow the use of different packaging to differentiate brands.
This was announced on Monday by number two of the Ministry, Javier Padilla, during an informative breakfast. The changes will be part of the modification of Royal Decree 579/2017 on the manufacture, presentation and marketing of tobacco products and their derivatives. “The incorporation of vapers means that we must act preferentially. “It is not only about public health policies, but also policies for children and youth,” declared the Secretary of State, who insisted that the electronic cigarette “is the gateway entry” towards smoking among the youngest, while “smoking had already lost its attractive dimension”. of the past.
The percentage of students aged 14 to 18 who smoke daily fell from 23.5% to 7.5% between 1996 and 2023. And the proportion of those who have ever tried cigarettes was cut in half (from 66 .4% to 33.4%) in the last three decades. However, the consumption of electronic cigarettes has not seen the same decline. Quite the contrary. 54.6% of adolescents admit to having tried them, a percentage which was only 17% ten years ago. This figure has never been so high, warns the Estudes survey, which also draws attention to the youngest boys and girls. At age 13, 14.5% of students have already used these devices; with 12.7.65%.
This ban, which many pressure groups will face, Health recognizes, was already included in the anti-tobacco plan approved in April, which must now be based on concrete initiatives.
Another pending issue that the ministerial team wants to prioritize, although there are no specific dates yet, is the reform of Law 28/2005 to expand smoke-free spaces.
This issue was already the most controversial during the meetings to implement the anti-smoking plan because some communities, aligned with hoteliers, did not agree with specific measures such as banning smoking on terraces. However, this point was never expressly included in the plan at the risk of being clarified in the legal modification.
Last week, the European Commission recommended that member states extend smoke-free zones to outdoor spaces such as terraces, swimming pools or bus stops. “Everything we said would be included is what the European Commission included in the recommendations. We will see how this is justified in the text,” Padilla confirmed.
