Spain says goodbye to disposable vapes: a historic law against tobacco

The Consejo de Ministros has approved the reform of the 2005 anti-tobacco law, which for the first time includes these devices in its regulations. The aim is twofold: to protect minors and to reduce the environmental impact of a product designed to end up as waste.

The Minister of Health, Mónica García, presented the measure that puts Spain on the same path as countries like France or Belgium. Manufacturers will have 12 months to sell existing stock and redesign their catalogues.

The new legal framework also expands smoke-free and vapour-free areas: from bar terraces to children's playgrounds, as well as concerts, transport stations, and vehicles with a driver. In addition, there is now a total ban on advertising and sponsorship in any medium, including digital platforms.

For the first time, not only the purchase but also the consumption of tobacco and vaping products by minors is prohibited, closing a legal loophole that had allowed these habits to become normalised.

With this step, the government aims to block the gateway to addiction among teenagers and, at the same time, relieve the planet of millions of disposable devices.