E-cigarettes in Spain

Spain: European Parliament members (MEPs) Nicolás González Casares and Domènec Ruiz Devesa of the Spanish Socialist Party, have urged the European Commission to regulate novel tobacco products, press reports. González Casares said “the new tobacco devices seek to create a new generation of addicts using electronic elements”. The two MEPs have jointly sent two formal questions to the Commission: the first about the discrepancies among EU countries on public vaping restrictions, calling for an EU-wide ban; the second seeking an explanation for the delay in the review of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) and denouncing a “lack of clarity and rigour” in the EU approach towards e-cigarettes and heated tobacco.

Spain: The General Council of Official Colleges of Pharmacists has asked the Ministry of Health to prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes and e-liquids by pharmacies, due to the “large number of health risks that their use could entail,” press reports. The council believes there is no evidence to support the use of e-cigarettes over alternative tools for smoking cessation. However, since parliament has already been dissolved ahead of elections in July, the present government is highly unlikely to take any action on the matter.

Spain: The Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine has issued a warning about a rise in the use of vaping products by teenagers. It says a poll conducted during Smoke-free Week found 90% of participants were in favour of extending the list of places where smoking and vaping are prohibited, while 21% of teenagers between 14 and 18 used e-cigarettes, 14% used hookahs, and 13% smoked.

Spain: The Ministry of Health has launched a public consultation on an amendment to Decree 579/2017, which regulates e-cigarettes and tobacco products. It aims to address various aspects, including packaging and exposure to vaping products, and to regulate nicotine-free e-cigs. Ideas and proposals can be sent to prevenciondeltabaquismo@sanidad.gob.es until 24th April.

Spain: The Chamber of Deputies Health Committee has rejected by 19 votes to 16 a proposal from the centre-right People’s Party (PP) to study whether alternatives such as e-cigarettes might be useful in smoking cessation, press reports. While the Socialist Party argued that e-cigarettes bring some health risks, the left-wing Podemos has accused the PP of favouring “pharmaceutical lobbies”.

Spain: Licences to operate a tobacconist’s business are being sold at auction for up to €7m, press reports. If the Tobacco Market Bill, restricting the sale of vaping products to tobacconists, is eventually passed this would represent a big burden for e-cigarette retailers who would have to turn their businesses into tobacconists.

Spain: Deputy Aina Vidal Sáez has urged the government – in which her party, the left-wing Podemos, participates – to regulate nicotine-free pods exactly like nicotine-containing e-cigarettes. Sáez expressed concern yesterday about pods’ flavours and their use among young people. She criticised the lack of health warnings on nicotine-free products, which are currently unregulated and therefore not subject to packaging and retail restrictions.