Spain’s National Committee for the Prevention of Smoking (CNPT) has formally requested the incoming government to enact a stalled Comprehensive Plan for the Prevention and Control of Smoking within its first 100 days. This aggressive push aims to combat Spain’s high smoking rates, which currently cause nearly 60,000 preventable deaths annually.
In a manifesto sent to all political parties following the July 23 general elections, the CNPT urged leaders to revive the 2021 plan that was abruptly halted. Spain currently struggles with one of the highest daily smoking rates in the European Union—nearly 20% of residents aged 15 and older—coupled with some of the lowest tobacco prices in the region.
To address this ongoing public health crisis, the committee outlined several strict regulatory demands:
- Implementing plain packaging for all tobacco products.
- Equating all e-cigarettes and vapes (with or without nicotine) to conventional tobacco in all legal aspects.
- Expanding smoke-free areas to include beaches, public and private transport, hospitals, and sports venues.
- Halving the number of authorized tobacconists and eliminating vending machines in gas stations and convenience stores.
Furthermore, the CNPT is pushing for stricter media controls to ban tobacco scenes in audiovisual productions and to crack down on covert advertising by social media influencers.
The committee views this 100-day action plan as the necessary foundation for a complete update of Spain’s broader Tobacco Law, ensuring better support and effective treatments for patients trying to quit.
