The Spanish government has taken control the country’s sales and distribution of vaping products. Authorities say the move was needed because there is currently no clear and effective system of control regarding the sale of e-cigarettes.
The Ministry of Health has a new objective: to reformulate the anti-smoking legislation that was approved by José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero in 2006, according to Euro Weekly. The Spanish government’s new proposal aims to restrict the use of e-cigarettes, as the government says that they cause “harmful short-term effects”.
Fernando Fernández Bueno, surgical oncologist at the Gómez Ulla Military Hospital and member of the Platform for the Reduction of Harm caused by Tobacco, explained that “vaping is 95 percent less harmful than traditional tobacco because e-cigarettes do not emit the carcinogens that tobacco does.” He added, “some people still say that vaping is worse than smoking. But there is nothing worse than smoking.”
The government’s greatest concern is that these devices could “encourage experimentation in young people and non-smokers”, who may be drawn to smoking e-cigarettes due to the “colors of the vaporizers or the flavors used.”
The Ministry of Health, headed by Carolina Darias, has manifested concern regarding the sale of these devices, explaining that “there is a large number of websites where nicotine-based devices can be bought online, and the methods for preventing access to minors are neither sufficient nor effective”.
The government’s goal is to prevent the sale of e-cigarettes online and support the sale of vaping products only in specialized tobacco shops, according to the story. The government also warned vapers that the new rules will raise e-cigarette prices when they go into effect.