According to the latest survey in Spain, 75.7 per cent of respondents support expanding smoke-free areas; 72.1 per cent believe it is necessary to step up prevention campaigns; and 66.1 per cent back stricter regulation of e-cigarette retail outlets.
Furthermore, 67.5 per cent support age restrictions on access to these products, and 60.4 per cent consider it necessary to regulate advertising on social media. The survey also confirms a clear difference between smokers and non-smokers regarding support for tobacco control measures. Among non-smokers, support for expanding smoke-free areas reaches 82.3 per cent, whilst among smokers it drops to 45 per cent.
The study was carried out by The Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC) and as a result has warned of the rise in vaping among teenagers in Spain, where 11.9 per cent of young people aged between 14 and 18 use e-cigarettes, a figure it considers to be well above the global average.
According to the semFYC, 13.2 per cent of young people aged between 14 and 18 currently smoke in Spain, a group in which 11.9 per cent use e-cigarettes, 3.8 per cent smoke conventional cigarettes and 1.9 per cent use water pipes.
Furthermore, in the 19–24 age group, the overall prevalence of consumption stands at 24.8 per cent, which equates to almost one in four young people. In this age group, the consumption of roll-your-own tobacco and conventional cigarettes stands out, both at 11.8 per cent, as does that of e-cigarettes, at 7.4 per cent.
This is indicated by data from the annual survey on smoking and the use of new nicotine products, in which 9,375 people aged between 14 and 65 in Spain took part, and which was published on Monday by the Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC) as part of Smoke-Free Week.
“The most alarming finding is that the survey confirms that dual use remains very prevalent among young people, that is, the simultaneous use of conventional cigarettes and electronic devices. This trend reinforces concerns that vaping is a gateway to nicotine addiction rather than a tool for quitting smoking,” said María Iglesias, co-spokesperson for Smoke-Free Week 2026.
As for the UK’s approval of a law banning the sale of tobacco to people born in or after 2009, semFYC has expressed support for studying and implementing similar measures in Spain. ‘We view the UK’s proposals as a bold and disruptive measure aimed at creating a smoke-free generation. Measures of this kind should be studied and, at the very least, the protection of minors should be strengthened. They do not have to be exactly the same, but they must be geared towards protecting public health,’ said José Manuel Iglesias, co-spokesperson for Smoke-Free Week 2026.