Health will expand smoke-free spaces, raise taxes on tobacco and change its packaging

The Ministry of Health will introduce a new march in the fight against tobacco. The measures taken by the Government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero managed to reduce the numbers of smokers, but little by little they went up until they reached the previous levels. This Executive wants them to come back down with an anti-smoking plan that goes through increasing smoke-free areas and taxation, changing the ways of packaging and equating new ways of smoking (such as vaping) with traditional ones, as announced by this Thursday Minister Salvador Illa in the Health Commission of the Congress of Deputies.

The minister outlined the great lines of action of his department in this legislature. One of the main objectives is to reinforce preventable risk factors in health. Thus, it will launch a national plan against childhood obesity and action measures for environmental health and against climate change, in addition to anti-smoking initiatives.

Illa explained that his ministry is studying more restricting the use of tobacco in places such as vehicles or outdoor sports centers. In addition, the Health position of raising taxes on tobacco-related products will be transferred to the Treasury. "In Spain they are among the lowest in Europe. A pack costs an average of five euros compared to 10 of the surrounding countries, not counting the low price of products such as rolling bites. We have room to match our partners According to WHO data, an increase of 10% can reduce the incidence by 4% in middle and upper classes, by 5% among the most disadvantaged and 18% in young people aged 14. Therefore, it would be a measure high impact so that those who start stop doing it, "he explained.

The announced measures also take as a model other countries in the environment for tobacco packaging. France, for example, is imposing a neutral, homogeneous presentation for all brands and in which the messages that warn of the harm of smoking are more prominent. Every year about 50,000 people die in Spain due to smoking-related causes. It is the first cause of preventable premature death. However, between 34% and 37% light a cigarette every day, according to the Ages drug use survey.

To questions of the parliamentary groups, the minister has responded that he cannot give a timetable for the implementation of these measures. "We will go as fast as we can, but we have to study them in detail and meet with all the groups involved," he said.