Anti-smoking law in Spain paralyzed following the calling of elections
The Spanish Ministry of Health has had to halt its plans to reform the current anti-smoking law. This measure, which sought to expand the smoking ban in public places such as bar and restaurant terraces, has been suspended due to the recent dissolution of Parliament.
The calling of general elections has caused all legislative activity in Congress to come to a standstill. For this reason, the bill that intended to tighten regulations on tobacco consumption and regulate new vaping devices will not be able to be approved in the short term.
The main objective of this reform was to reduce the number of smokers in the country and improve public health, especially in outdoor spaces. Many health experts had supported the proposal, arguing that terraces enclosed with awnings or walls should be smoke-free spaces to protect citizens.
For now, the current tobacco regulations in Spain remain unchanged. The future of this law will depend on the decisions made by the next government after the elections, as it will be necessary to restart the parliamentary process from the beginning if these restrictions are to be implemented in the future.