Through the motion, the Spanish Senate urged the government to strengthen the regulation of vapes, calling for restrictions on marketing channels and flavors, and a scientific assessment of the impact of new tobacco products.
According to Diario Siglo XXI, the health committee of the Spanish Senate passed a motion on Wednesday (27th) urging the government to strengthen the political consensus on tobacco control and set out specific laws and regulations on vapes.
This motion was proposed by the People’s Party (PP) and accepted by the PSOE amendment. The motion was adopted by 26 votes in favor, 0 against, and 2 abstentions. Rosa Romero, Senator from the People’s Party (PP), stressed that the government must reach a political consensus on the tobacco control system within the National Health System Interregional Committee and ensure the participation of the autonomous regions in relevant decisions.
Romero pointed out that the China Tobacco Control Prevention and Control Plan, approved by the Council of Ministers on April 30 this year, did not take into account the autonomous region’s recommendations, but instead included information sharing as a way throughout the meeting.
The motion also calls for specific controls on vapes, limiting the sale of such products to licensed cigarette shops and specialty retail outlets. It is strictly prohibited to use flavors and designs that appeal to minors in commodities and advertisements to reduce minors’ exposure to vapes. In addition, specific controls are needed on tobacco tar bags or other forms of tobacco tar distribution that are not part of smoking cessation drugs.
In the initial text of the motion, the BJP urged the government to immediately launch a multicentre scientific assessment, supporting public resources to obtain sufficient data to analyze the impact of new tobacco products.
