The Ministry of Health wants to introduce plain packaging for tobacco.
The minister is confident that the legislative initiative will succeed in Congress "regardless of partisan interests."
BarcelonaGeneric tobacco packages, with neutral packaging so that all brands have the same appearance and are less attractive to buyers. This was one of the key measures that Health Minister Mónica García wanted to add to the anti-smoking law, but due to a lack of agreement within the coalition government, she was unable to do so. It fell from the text approved by the Council of Ministers on Tuesday.. Just two days later, García clarified that they will try to reinstate this measure during the bill's processing.
"There's still a lot of work to be done. We hope to incorporate plain packaging," he said during a press conference in which he presented a campaign to combat e-cigarette use. Specifically, plain packaging could be added to the draft bill during the public hearing process. In fact, this is a measure that various health and anti-smoking organizations have repeatedly requested to prevent colors, logos, or advertising claims from being an incentive to buy them.
Regarding the possibility that the draft bill might not pass in the Congress of Deputies due to lack of support, he said he trusts that the parties will respect this initiative "regardless of their partisan interests" to ensure that the fight against tobacco continues to advance. "We have managed to bring together the interests of citizen representatives, especially given the consequences of the pandemic," he claimed.
Response to the hospitality industry
Among the measures included in the draft law approved by the Council of Ministers this week are the expansion of smoke-free zones, which will include bar and restaurant terraces, cars, and public parks. This point has drawn criticism from the hospitality sector, which considers the restriction on terraces "disproportionate." The minister has already responded: "What is disproportionate is the 140 deaths a day due to tobacco, the cost to our healthcare system caused by smoking, and having to swallow uncontrolled smoke."
The text also includes new forms of smoking, such as heated tobacco and vaping, which until now were unregulated, and prohibits disposable e-cigarettes. "Vaping is not harmless; it also damages your health, and starting early also increases dependence and makes it difficult to quit," García warned.
