The Ministry of Health wants to ban smoking on terraces, university campuses, work cars, and bus shelters.

BarcelonaThe new anti-smoking law is taking shape. This Thursday, the Minister of Health, Mónica García, outlined some of the new restrictions that tobacco and vaping will have if the law is passed. For example, smoking will be banned on bar and restaurant terraces, on university campuses, in educational centers, in sports facilities, in work vehicles, and under bus and tram shelters. All of these spaces will become smoke-free to "protect the population and denormalize" the habit of smoking tobacco and other similar products. In fact, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco will also be legally equated with conventional cigarettes.

"It is time to be ambitious in the fight against smoking, which is one of the main threats to public health and causes 30% of cancers," the minister said in a statement this Thursday. Thus, with the new law, the Spanish government aims to unblock the fight against smoking in the country, which has stagnated for almost a decade. Policies to reduce the number of smokers are ineffective despite being a priority for the country's health authorities. In Catalonia, one in five people over the age of 15 smokes, and approximately 10,000 people die each year from diseases associated with tobacco and secondhand smoke.

The minister is working with the goal of "advancing this process quickly" and ensuring that the draft law "can soon see the light of day and become a reality as soon as possible." The Ministry of Health also plans to include plain packaging for tobacco and derived products, such as e-cigarettes, heated herbal products, and nicotine pouches. This means that all brands will have the same appearance and will be less attractive to buyers. To push the reform of the law through, it remains to be seen what majorities they can muster. That is to say, it will depend on the political climate in Congress whether the new rule is ultimately unblocked or not.

Celebration

The National Committee for the Prevention of Smoking (CNPT) and the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) have enthusiastically welcomed the Ministry of Health's announcement. On the one hand, the CNPT explained to Efe that banning smoking and beating in public places "benefits both smokers and non-smokers," and in the case of terraces, beach bars, and other outdoor hospitality spaces, it also protects workers.

On the other hand, the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) has claimed that the measures announced by the ministry "have scientific evidence and have already proven effective in reducing and denormalizing tobacco consumption" in other countries.

This week, the Secretary of Public Health, Esteve Fernández, explained that Catalonia is fully aligned with the regulations being prepared by the Ministry of Health, and the only but The only problem with the law reform is that it wouldn't move forward more quickly. Even so, for the time being, they are not considering implementing their own measures to prevent and control smoking in Catalonia.