Ministry of Health wants to ban smoking in cars and modify tobacco laws

Wales plans to end smoking by 2030

Ministry of Health wants to ban smoking in cars and modify tobacco laws

The Ministry of Health wants to ban smoking in cars, the packaging of generic tobacco and limit electronic cigarettes.

The Ministry of Health has finalised an ambitious comprehensive plan against smoking that introduces, among other issues, the prohibition of smoking in cars, the generic packaging of tobacco brands and limiting electronic cigarettes.

The Government is aware of the delay in its commitments in the fight against tobacco, in large part because it has had to focus on fighting the Covid pandemic, but has now decided to approve a plan with five goals and 21 objectives.

For this reason, it has pressed the accelerator and has just sent the draft of its “Comprehensive Plan for the Prevention and Control of Smoking 2021-2025” to scientific and medical societies as well as the autonomous communities.

In its 119 pages, the Ministry directed by Carolina Darias recalls in this plan that more than a decade has passed since the last “substantial” modification in the health measures against smoking.

The European Union and the WHO now have ambitions to achieve a “tobacco-free generation” in Spain.

For this and “before the year 2023” it will propose to increase smoke-free spaces, including electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products, such as terraces of bars and restaurants and the vicinity of public buildings.

Also, in the short term and “to be implemented in two years,” the Ministry of Health wants to modify the law 28/2005 and the royal decree 579/2017, adapting all the regulations against smoking “to the changes produced in the market with the appearance of new products and achieving progress in the regulation of smoke-free spaces.”

These smoke-free spaces also include “certain spaces of the private sphere” such as “private vehicles.”

In addition, they want to stop the increasing covert advertising and promotions on social networks and platforms of new tobacco products.

The Health Ministry is proposing via a royal decree to follow in the wake of other countries such as France and Australia and implement the generic packaging of tobacco packs to remove the attractiveness of brands and help reduce cigarette consumption.

It also wishes to ban flavouring additives in tobacco and related products and “to promote the revision of taxation to achieve an increase and approximation of the price of all tobacco products and heating devices used for their consumption.”

According to this Plan, “Spain plans to reach the goal established by the WHO of a relative reduction of 30 per cent in tobacco consumption by the year 2025.”


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Written by

Laura Kemp

Originally from UK, Laura is based in Axarquia and is a writer for the Euro Weekly News covering news and features. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

Comments


    • Elegsabiff

      08 December 2021 • 15:11

      If the powers that be want to stop smoking being attractive to younger generations they should allow only those over 60 to smoke in public and instantly establish it as something only old people do. Banning anything has proved again and again to be totally ineffective and instantly attracts young rebels to the fold. Muppets.

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