The Spanish left-wing government announced on Tuesday that it wanted to ban smoking and vaping on terraces and on beaches, bringing forward a bill which will have to be submitted to a vote in Parliament, where the executive around Pedro Sánchez does not have a majority.
The ban would concern “terraces in hotels and restaurants” and, in particular, “bus shelters, platforms, university campuses, sports facilities, swimming pools, beaches”, detailed Mónica García, the Minister of Health, during the press conference following the Council of Ministers.
Such restrictions have already been put in place in places by local or regional authorities, the latter being responsible for health matters in Spain, a very decentralized country.
The bill also aims to prohibit the consumption of tobacco by minors, as well as to prohibit all advertising in favor of tobacco and vapers, the sale of which would be very limited.
“We intend with this law to continue to mark a before and after in the protection of public health,” argued Mónica García, recalling that smoking caused “50,000 deaths per year” in Spain and constituted a risk factor “in 30% of cancers”.
The “clear” objective of the executive is thus to “move towards a tobacco-free generation” and, “that in shared spaces, breathing clean air is the norm”, further maintained the minister.
The bill must now arrive in Parliament for its examination, with no guarantee, however, that the text will be voted on by the deputies, in the absence of a majority for the government.
It is expected to face strong resistance from the hotel and catering sector, a major economic player in a country, the world’s second-largest tourist destination, where outdoor dining is very popular, particularly during increasingly sultry summers.
Spain still has a large number of smokers even though their numbers have fallen sharply. Around 26% of the Spanish adult population smokes on a daily basis, according to the latest report from health authorities on the subject, dating from 2024.
A law that came into force in 2011 banned smoking in all enclosed public places, including bars, restaurants, cafes, nightclubs and casinos.
