Spain’s latest push to tighten tobacco regulations has drawn sharp criticism from public health experts, who say the government’s proposal falls short without fiscal and supply-side measures. The draft aimed to prohibit smoking by minors and extend smoke-free restrictions to beaches and outdoor terraces, as well as swimming pools, bus stops, sports facilities and other public spaces. Armando Peruga, an epidemiologist at the Instituto Catalán de Oncología and former World Health Organization official, says impressive tax increases and tighter controls on tobacco sales outlets are impressive to a more comprehensive approach.
Speaking to EL PAÍS, Peruga called the proposal a step forward but pointed to basic omissions, including plain packaging, which had initially been expected as part of the reform. He also said Spain’s tobacco taxes remain low by European standards, making cigarettes more accessible and weakening public health measures. The Ministry of Finance sets tobacco taxes and regulates the number of licensed tobacco outlets. Peruga has criticized the ministry’s role in tobacco control.
The government approved the draft on 21 July 2026 and sent it to Parliament on 24 July. It proposed extending restrictions to electronic cigarettes and heated-tobacco products wherever conventional smoking is banned, including the newly listed outdoor areas. Peruga supports bringing these products under comparable rules but has questioned how “specialized shops” would be defined and whether their tax treatment would be aligned. Respiratory specialists have also called for higher nicotine-product taxes and stronger inspections, with publicly funded cessation services.
Industry groups have opposed a nationwide smoking ban on terraces, citing potential effects on bars and restaurants. Hostelería de España was among the organizations resisting the measure, while Vox framed further restrictions as an issue of individual freedom. Peruga has cited European Union recommendations and Spain’s experience with temporary terrace restrictions during the pandemic to challenge claims that a ban would necessarily cause major disruption. He has also stressed that outdoor secondhand-smoke exposure can affect hospitality workers who cannot simply leave their workplaces.
Exposure data have added urgency to the debate. A 2026 report on passive smoking found that 54.9% of non-smokers were exposed to tobacco smoke on terraces; the reported overall figure was 23.8% when terrace exposure was excluded. Antena 3 reported the findings, which were associated with the Sociedad Española de Neumología y Cirugía Torácica (SEPAR), and they have been used to support extending smoke-free rules to terraces, schools and other outdoor settings. SEPAR pulmonologist Carlos Jiménez has also warned that vaping aerosols contain nicotine and other potentially toxic substances, and can be addictive.
On whether e-cigarettes reduce harm, Peruga has acknowledged that they may emit fewer toxins than conventional cigarettes, while stressing that their long-term effects remain uncertain. He has also flagged dual use, smoking cigarettes while vaping, as a concern. In his view, it does not deliver the health gains associated with quitting tobacco.
Critics of expanded restrictions argue that bans may push smoking elsewhere without reducing consumption. Peruga disputes that view, noting that many smokers want to quit and that restrictions can encourage them to do so. He has also cited studies of Spain’s 2010 indoor smoking ban, which found no negative impact on the hospitality sector and, in some cases, a modest benefit as non-smokers visited bars and terraces more often.
Asked why Spain does not ban tobacco outright, Peruga has argued for a gradual approach to limit the risk of illicit markets and give consumers and the agricultural sector time to adapt. He has called for a coordinated government strategy built around fiscal and public health measures, with regulation supporting both.
The proposed reform did not complete its passage through Parliament. Royal Decree 806/2026, dated 5 October, dissolved both chambers and called a general election for 29 November, ending the parliamentary process before the proposed nationwide extensions took effect. Spain’s existing national structure so remains in place, generally allowing smoking on terraces treated as outdoor spaces, while local rules may impose stricter limits. The planned terrace, beach and other outdoor restrictions remain proposals, not nationwide law.
As reported earlier, the government’s reform package also targeted e-cigarettes and outdoor smoking, with higher fines and stricter rules under consideration. For more on the proposed changes, see this overview of the government’s planned tobacco restrictions: Spain's move to ban smoking for minors and on terraces.
Spain’s approach to tobacco control has evolved over the past two decades through incremental restrictions on indoor smoking and advertising. The 2026 debate has increasingly focused on outdoor exposure and youth vaping, as well as the role of taxes, sales controls and enforcement. A future government and Parliament would need to restart or reintroduce legislation to establish the nationwide restrictions proposed in the reform.
