Today the Public Health Commission of the Interterritorial Council, made up of those responsible for public health from the Ministry of Health and the autonomous communities, meets to analyze the Comprehensive Plan against Smoking 2024-2027 designed by Mónica García's team and incorporate the proposals made by the autonomies. The consensus, according to sources consulted by this newspaper, is guaranteed, understanding as such that all those involved are clear that they must move forward in the fight against this addiction and give a push to not only reduce the number of smokers, but also prevent more young people are taking up smoking. So much for the consensus (which is not little).
Another thing is the extent to which we want to advance to end an addiction that kills 50,000 people every year (including half a thousand passive smokers) and is behind 16 types of cancer. Because the plan includes the legal reform of the 2010 anti-tobacco law, expanding smoke-free spaces. And therein lies the big obstacle, if the terraces of bars and restaurants are included as places where you cannot smoke.
Some communities, such as Catalonia or the Canary Islands, have been in favor, while others are radically against it, such as Madrid. Others, like Galicia, talk about voluntariness and giving tax incentives to hoteliers who decide to ban tobacco and its products.
Behind the refusal to ban tobacco on terraces is the hospitality industry, which predicts, as it did in 2005 and 2010, enormous economic losses. Those who are in favor (Health, scientific societies and social organizations) deny the hoteliers' allegations: people will not stop going to the terraces if they cannot smoke, just as they did not stop going to these spaces when smoking was prohibited. inside.
This is the most conflictive point of the plan and what has become the political battleground between some communities (majority of the PP) with the rest.
But, as sources from the ministry's General Directorate of Public Health explain, the plan is a roadmap that shows the path until 2027. That is, smoke-free spaces, for example, will not be decided today, but the measures that will be carried out in these years to achieve the objective of clearly reducing smoking.
And, therefore, before the reform of the tobacco law is proposed, awareness campaigns will be carried out that transfer the debate to each home and that it will be the citizens themselves who create the climate of opinion sufficient to, among other things, issues, demand an end to tobacco and its products on terraces. With a favorable climate, the communities' reluctance will dissipate. At least, those of the majority. “This is what happened in 2005, when the law fell short and it was the citizens who demanded an end to smoke in all closed spaces,” these sources explain.
That is what those responsible for Health expect with respect to terraces, because in the rest of the spaces that are being considered, such as universities or beaches, there is more consensus. Also prohibiting smoking inside vehicles when pregnant women or children travel, as is already the case in many European countries. They believe that this ban is a “matter of common sense” and has sufficient scientific evidence to prohibit tobacco in a private space.
There is also consensus on equating electronic cigarettes with conventional tobacco, considering that they are the gateway for minors to smoking. And in recent months the tobacco industry has not ceased to pressure to avoid this comparison, claiming that it is a means for smokers who cannot quit the habit.
The plan aims to reduce the number of smokers and, especially, among minors (460 kids start smoking every day). For this reason, there is also consensus on clearly raising taxes on tobacco, among the cheapest in Europe, until reaching 8 or 10 euros per pack, and promoting generic or neutral packaging, that is, without brands in sight ( It is estimated that this measure would reduce the number of smokers by at least 250,000).
