Overview
- The Spanish Cabinet approved the final draft on Tuesday, July 21, extending bans to outdoor bar and restaurant terraces, beaches, river beaches and national parks.
- For the first time the draft treats e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, herbal inhalation products, hookahs and heated tobacco devices the same as conventional cigarettes.
- The law would create 'enhanced protection zones' that ban smoking and vaping inside key sites and for 15 metres around them, covering schools, hospitals, museums, sports centres and playgrounds.
- The draft explicitly bans under-18s from using tobacco or vapes and makes parents or legal guardians secondarily liable with fines of €200–€600 or community service as an alternative.
- The bill centralises enforcement so regions cannot opt out but still needs parliamentary approval where the main opposition wants designated smokers' areas and the hospitality sector warns of business harm, leaving the timetable uncertain.