Spain considers banning smoking in the car

Could the next place where smoking is banned be inside your car? Spanish health officials are set to debate the boundaries of public health in private spaces.

On Thursday, March 14, the Ministry of Health plans to unveil the Comprehensive Plan for Tobacco Prevention and Control (PIT) 2024-2027 to the Public Health Commission.

This plan, spearheaded by Monica Garcia, showcases a dedicated effort to combat smoking, featuring five goals and 22 objectives still in draft form.

Javier Padilla, Secretary of State for Health, emphasised, The specific specification of what the smoke-free areas are will have to be included in the legislative reform, not in the comprehensive plan.’

He added, that they would have to see ‘what is being done in other countries and see what could be done here. The specifics will be developed in the legislative text.’

Expanding smoke-free ones

This initiative isn’t the Ministry’s first attempt to expand smoke-free areas. While the details of the new spaces to be declared smoke-free remain unspecified, there is a notable focus on potentially banning smoking on terraces and at public transport shelters.

These measures are set to be further detailed in upcoming government legislation, subject to Congress’s approval.

Previously, the plan highlighted increasing smoke-free public spaces without specifying which ones, in contrast to its predecessor, which explicitly banned smoking on beaches and in private vehicles with minors present.

Driving and smoking

The plan also addresses smoking inside cars, particularly when children and pregnant women are passengers.

This follows the recognition of distractions behind the wheel, such as smoking, as a significant factor in 30 per cent of fatal accidents annually in Spain.

Although the current General Traffic Regulations (RGC) do not explicitly ban smoking while driving, activities that distract drivers, including smoking, are deemed violations.

‘It is strictly prohibited to drive in a negligent or reckless manner,’ states Article 3 of the RGC. Moreover, Article 18 mandates drivers to maintain their attention on the road, suggesting that smoking could indeed be interpreted as a distraction, potentially leading to a €200 fine.

New and traditional tobacco products

The PIT also proposes to regulate the promotion, advertising, sale, and consumption of new nicotine products alongside traditional tobacco.

This includes products both with and without nicotine, aiming for parity in how these substances are treated in public discourse and law.

This comprehensive approach suggests a future where smoking in cars, especially in the presence of vulnerable passengers, could be subject to strict regulation, reflecting a broader trend of increasing restrictions on tobacco use in both public and private spaces.