Carrefour Becomes Spain's 1st Supermarket to Sell Vapes

According to a report by Spanish media outlet Okdiario, the large chain supermarket Carrefour has started selling e-cigarette products in certain regions of Spain. This marks the first chain supermarket to enter the e-cigarette market in Spain. The brand being sold by Carrefour is Cool Vaps, priced at 9.95 euros.

Due to the presence of nicotine, the sale of these e-cigarettes is prohibited for individuals under the age of 18. Carrefour, a supermarket chain, offers various flavors such as mango, banana, apple, forest fruits, mint, watermelon, gummy, papaya, and passion fruit in its stores. However, these products are currently not available for online purchase on their website.

The Cool Vaps disposable e-cigarette sold by Carrefour contains 2 milliliters of flavored e-liquid. In addition, these devices contain 2% nicotine. The battery capacity used in these devices is 550 milliampere-hours (mAh), allowing for longer use. These e-cigarettes can be used for approximately 600 puffs, which is equivalent to about 40 traditional cigarettes.

Which regions in Spain are allowed to sell e-cigarettes? In October of last year, the National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC) in Spain raised concerns over the monopoly of cigarette stores in the sale of e-cigarettes, stating that these products should be subject to independent regulation that aligns with their specific characteristics.

The organization chaired by Cani Fernández has presented a series of considerations in relation to the "Tobacco Market Act" and other relevant draft bills. The proposed legislation aims to expand the monopoly rights of tobacco shops to include the sale of e-cigarettes. In its report, the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC) warned that the current regulatory framework for the tobacco market in Spain imposes significant restrictions on competition, such as the state's continued monopoly in retail cigarette distribution.

The CNMC believes that the regulatory model for traditional cigarettes should not be applied to e-cigarettes. They believe that e-cigarettes should have their own independent regulation to adapt to their unique characteristics. As a result, the sale of these e-cigarettes has not been regulated or controlled up to this point. In fact, several months ago, some pharmacies in Spain also began selling disposable e-cigarettes both in physical stores and online. Additionally, this trend has extended to include vending machines and supermarkets, where these products are now being sold.