Spain decides against increasing the price of cigarettes
The Ministry of Finance in Spain wants to avoid “a stockpile” of unsmoked cigarettes in the market
A couple of days ago, the Spanish government introduced its new National Plan for the Prevention and Control of Smoking 2024-2027, which includes measures such as increasing taxes, creating more smoke-free public spaces and enforcing generic packaging.
The legislation has already hit a sticking point, however, and the Ministry of Finance has vetoed the plan to increase the price of cigarettes and other tobacco products.
According to the Treasury, if the taxes on cigarettes were hiked up, it would cause “a stockpile in the market”, which is why the proposal has been completely removed from the new legislation. The Ministry hasn’t ruled out a price review in the future, though.
The additional funds generated from pricier tobacco were going to be used to finance health policies and campaigns focused on reducing smoking in Spain, so this too will have to be put on the backburner.
The bulk of the measures will remain in place, and these include an increase in the number of places where smoking is banned (although these haven’t been detailed yet), giving electronic cigarettes the same status as other tobacco products and including smoking cessation medication on the National Health Plan.
On April 15, during an appearance at the Joint Addictions Commission, health minister Mónica García announced that she hoped that "a good part" of the legislative modifications outlined in the Plan "would have come to fruition" by the end of the year.
Image: Archive
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