(Archive photo: Henning Kaiser/DPA/AFP)
The cabinet in Spain approved a draft bill on Tuesday that will ban smoking and the use of e-cigarettes in outdoor spaces such as restaurants, bars, parks and beaches.
The draft law will also prohibit minors from using tobacco products, and place a ban on the advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products.
Health Minister Monica Garcia said the aim was to extend the existing smoking restrictions, which have banned indoor smoking in public spaces since 2010, “to better protect public health and move towards a tobacco-free generation”.
“The goal is simple: to make clean air the norm in shared spaces,” she said at a news conference after the cabinet approved the draft bill.
She said pregnant women and people with asthma should be able to enjoy restaurants without being exposed to smoke from nearby tables.
(Archive photo: Nam Y. Huh)
The bill has yet to be approved by parliament, where the minority government that submitted the bill does not have a majority.
It is expected that the proposed law will receive strong opposition from the hospitality industry in a country where outdoor dining, especially during the hot summer months, is very popular.
According to health authorities’ data for 2024, around 26% of Spain’s adult population smokes daily.
Garcia said smoking causes around 50,000 deaths in Spain every year and is a risk factor in around 30% of all cancer cases.