The Spanish government wants to prohibit smoking in cars as long as there are children in the vehicle. It is one of the proposals that the Ministry of Health has included in the draft of the new anti-smoking plan, on which it has been working for months. The newspaper ABC has had access to the document, which also talks about creating new smoke-free spaces, increasing the price of cigarettes, and also regulating vapes or shisha tobacco.
In the document, which will be presented this Thursday in the Public Health commission to be taken later to the Interterritorial Health Council, the ministry proposes to prohibit smoking (verbatim) in "some outdoor community and social environments." Although not specific, Health has said several times that it will opt for banning tobacco on the terraces of bars and restaurants and also at public transport stops, for example.
Regarding private cars, ministry sources admit to the newspaper that, although they would like to ban cigarettes inside all vehicles, it is not clear if the law will allow it. Now, what they do want is to prohibit smoking whenever there are children in the car. Furthermore, he welcomes the initiatives of cities like Barcelona, which prohibit smoking on beaches, and does not rule out expanding it throughout the state.
In addition to all this, the sale of vapes and electronic cigarettes will also be regulated, and studies will be commissioned to help find appropriate regulation in the case of shishas. Regarding price, taxes will be increased, both on tobacco and electronic or vapor alternatives, products will be required to be packaged generically, prohibiting those with tastes or aromas.
Finally, the Spanish government will also work to have more drugs that help people quit smoking. The goal is that in 2025 the number of young people between 15 and 24 years old who smoke daily will drop below 20%.
