Spain set to extend smoking and vaping ban to beaches and national parks

The reform marks the biggest overhaul of Spain's tobacco law since 2005, though ministers admit they cannot yet say how long it will take parliament to pass it

Rocío Mendoza

Madrid

Spain's Cabinet has approved the final draft of a major overhaul of the country's anti-smoking legislation, extending smoking and vaping bans to ... beaches, river beaches and national parks.

In the biggest reform of Spain's tobacco law since 2005, ministers have expanded the list of smoke-free spaces since the draft was first approved last September.

The changes will only take effect if the bill is approved by the Spanish parliament, and although the government has finalised the text, there is still no indication of how long the legislative process will take.

"Some laws are passed within months, while others remain tied up in discussions over amendments for more than a year," government sources told this newspaper.

Ban extended to beaches and parks

Health Minister Mónica García had already announced in May that smoking and vaping would be banned in nightclubs, dance venues, outdoor performances, university campuses and work vehicles such as delivery vans.

Those additions came alongside the ban on smoking on bar terraces, which was included from the outset. The final version now also covers coastal and riverside beaches, as well as national parks.

The legislation also introduces the concept of "enhanced protection zones". Smoking and vaping would be banned not only within these areas but also within a 15-metre perimeter around them.

The zones cover places where vulnerable people are more likely to be present, including healthcare facilities, social care centres, schools, universities, research centres, museums, libraries, cultural venues, sports centres, and children's parks and playgrounds.

Parents liable for fines issued to minors

Once the law is published in Spain's Official State Gazette (BOE), the country's official legal journal, anyone who breaches the rules would face penalties. No separate implementation by Spain's regional governments would be required.

The revised legislation updates the definitions of offences, legal responsibilities and financial penalties. Among the most closely watched changes are those affecting minors. For the first time, the law would explicitly ban under-18s from smoking or vaping. Until now, the legislation only penalised the sale of tobacco and vaping products to minors, not their use.

Once the law comes into force, parents or legal guardians would become liable as secondary responsible parties for fines imposed on minors. Following the latest revision, the minimum penalty has been reduced from 300 euros to 200 euros, while the maximum remains at 600 euros.

The Ministry of Health added that fines could also be replaced with community service.

Officials behind the legislation insist the aim isn't to tackle smoking through fines alone. Instead, they say, it's about creating a social environment in which smoking, whether traditional tobacco or the electronic devices that have become increasingly popular among teenagers, becomes the exception rather than the norm.