Spain Moves to Restrict Vape Sales to Authorized Channels
The Health Committee of the Spanish Congress of Deputies has passed a proposal requiring that the sale of vapes, nicotine pouches, and related products be restricted to regulated, authorized channels, while excluding sales via the internet and non-specialized retail outlets.
Key Highlights
- The Health Committee of the Spanish Congress of Deputies has passed a non-binding proposal requiring that the sale of vapes, nicotine pouches, and related products be restricted to authorized channels.
- The proposal advocates for the exclusion of sales via the internet and non-specialized stores, as well as enhanced protections for minors.
- The proposal calls for strengthening the authorization, regulation, and age verification processes across all sales channels, specifically by establishing stricter age verification systems.
- The proposal also suggests enhancing inter-departmental coordination and assessing issues such as the recycling of disposable vapes, inspections of informal sales channels, and the associated economic and health impacts.
Spanish Lawmakers Advance Vape Sales Restrictions
April 15, 2026. According to a report by Infobae, the Health Committee of the Spanish Congress of Deputies has passed a proposal requiring that the sale of vapes, nicotine pouches, and related products be restricted to regulated, authorized channels. Concurrently, the proposal mandates the exclusion of sales via the internet and non-specialized retail outlets, while calling for strengthened regulatory measures to protect minors and young people.
Committee Approves Proposal with Broad Support
Committee Passes Resolution to Restrict Sales Channels
The proposal was introduced by the Socialist Parliamentary Group and aims to prevent the use of vapes. Following the negotiation of an amended text in collaboration with the Popular Party (PP), the proposal was passed by a vote of 33 in favor, 2 against, and 1 abstention.
Socialist MP Carmen Andrés Añón stated that while smoking and vape use are matters of personal choice. The issue of tobacco constitutes a public health concern, and the public sector bears a constitutional obligation to safeguard public health.
She further noted that, in recent years, several products have emerged which, despite containing no tobacco, retain the full addictive potential of nicotine and pose significant risks to public health.
Proposal Targets Authorized Sales and Youth Protection
Proposal Focuses on Authorized Channels and Protection of Minors
The proposal stipulates that, within the framework of cooperation with Spain’s autonomous communities, administrative agencies, and public entities, the Spanish government should adopt measures to restrict the sale of vape products, nicotine pouches, and other related tobacco products to those authorized channels currently permitted under existing regulations—specifically excluding sales via the internet and non-specialized retail outlets.
The proposal also calls for strengthened regulation and oversight to ensure that product distribution and sales occur exclusively through authorized channels, and to guarantee compliance with traceability, tax management, and health and environmental requirements.
Debate Over Online Sales Ban and Regulation Approach
The Popular Party Supports Stricter Regulation but Opposes an “Absolute” Ban on Online Sales
Popular Party Senator José Manuel Aranda Lassa stated that the rise in consumption among minors. The regulatory vacuum surrounding nicotine pouches and the insufficient oversight of online sales underscore the necessity for stricter regulation.
He argued that the sale of nicotine delivery devices should no longer be permitted to persist within a distribution system characterized by disorder, inadequate regulation, or susceptibility to improper commercial practices; the paramount priority, he emphasized, is to prevent minors from accessing these products.
However, he simultaneously asserted that regulation should not be limited to an “absolute ban” on online sales; rather, it should establish a regulatory framework equivalent to that governing offline sales—one that incorporates requirements such as prior authorization and age verification.
Proposal Expands to Recycling, Inspections, and Policy Evaluation
The Proposal Also Addresses Recycling, Inspections, and the National Addiction Strategy
Beyond sales restrictions, the proposal calls for continued efforts to foster inter-departmental coordination and to explore the expansion of collection and recycling programs for single-use electronic cigarettes.
Furthermore, it mandates an assessment of inspections targeting informal sales channels and non-specialized retail outlets, as well as an evaluation of the economic and health impacts of measures already implemented.
The objective is to ensure that these measures are both proportionate and effective, and to subsequently integrate them into the framework of the next iteration of the National Addiction Strategy.
