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ARCHIVED - Spain considers permanently banning smoking on terraces
The experts believe an “important path” to prohibiting smoking in public in Spain has been created by the coronavirus pandemic
With Spain finally entering the low risk level for coronavirus infections, the government is looking towards a future of ‘new normal’ and the Ministry of Health has recognised an opportunity to “take advantage” of the smoking restrictions put in place at the height of the fifth wave of the pandemic by banning smoking on terraces permanently.
According to the Congress of the National Committee for Smoking Prevention (CNPT), smoke-free outdoor spaces are one of the “essential” measures for controlling coronavirus going forward, and the hope is that a reform to the anti-smoking law will legislate this, as has already been done in seven autonomous communities in Spain (Aragon, Asturias, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Valencia and La Rioja.)
The CNPT pointed out that the 2021 ‘smoking ban’ was a pioneering law, but that now is the time to address three fundamental issues: the increase in the use of smoking-related products, the regulation of advertising, and of course, the possible expansion of smoke-free public spaces.
“The pandemic has left an important path that we must take advantage of,” according to the Deputy General for Health Promotion and Public Health Surveillance, Pilar Campos. However, it is important to note that a date for the reform of the anti-smoking law has not been specified yet due to ongoing projects associated with the coronavirus pandemic.
The extension of the smoking ban was actually one of the commitments made by the previous Minister of Health, Salvador Illa, who in February 2020 proposed a series of new measures including banning it while driving and increasing the price of cigarettes. The latter has been strongly supported by the CNPT, who have long complained that Spain is considered the ideal “low-cost” destination for smokers.
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