Spain considers banning smoking and vaping on ALL beaches
- Spain could soon ban people from smoking and vaping on all its beaches
- Ministers said the crackdown would benefit public health
- Several beaches have already been made smoke-free
Spain is considering banning smoking on all beaches as it pushes ahead with tough new measures.
Spain's Health Ministry has confirmed a new crackdown on both smoking and vaping, saying people's health must be protected.
One of the new priorities is to revive the anti-smoking plan, which includes the expansion of smoke-free areas to terraces, beaches and cars in the presence of minors and pregnant women.
“We must look again at the law because we cannot turn our backs on the only measure that can give the population more years of life and a better quality of life, namely reducing smoking,” Health Minister Mónica García said.
The Comprehensive Plan for Smoking Prevention and Control 2021-2025 was finalized a year and a half ago, but has not yet seen the light of day.
Several holiday hotspots in Spain have already expanded their smoke-free beaches, with the Balearic Islands now boasting 28
On the Spanish island of the Balearic Islands alone, 118 million cigarette butts are left in the streets
The Ministry of Health says it wants to 'take it out of the drawer' and extend the ban on tobacco consumption to more areas.
“The first steps are to take it out of the box,” said Monica García. 'We will have to look at each case and each of the assumptions.
“What we plan to do is investigate what that plan is going to be, whether it needs to be expanded, whether it needs to be modified, but we are committed to following those recommendations.”
The Health Minister also referred to vapers, pointing out that 'nicotine releasers should be included in this scheme', similar to the measures surrounding tobacco.
She said that “vapers will need precise regulation” and “that is aligned with all regulations that exist regarding tobacco.”
The plans are already causing controversy. José Luis Martínez-Almeida, mayor of Madrid, said a smoking ban on terraces would be “nonsense”.
“From a health point of view, smoking is of course not the most recommended activity, but banning it outdoors seems absurd to me,” he said.
Several holiday hotspots in Spain have already expanded their smoke-free beaches, with the Balearic Islands now boasting 28.
However, smoking is generally a major problem: 118 million cigarette butts are dumped every year in the Balearic Islands alone.