Key Takeaways
- Spain’s PP and PSOE reached an agreement in the addiction commission and approved a non-binding motion on restricting vape and nicotine pouch sales channels.
- The motion passed with 33 votes in favor, two against and one abstention.
- The proposal seeks to concentrate sales in tobacco shops and specialized stores while excluding internet and general retail channels.
- The stated goal is to strengthen protection for minors and young people and improve traceability and control.
- The report says Spain’s current anti-tobacco draft law includes restrictions on minors smoking or vaping but does not include controls on points of sale.
2Firsts, April 27，2026
According to Elplural, Spain’s Popular Party (PP) and Socialist Party (PSOE) reached an agreement in the Joint Congress-Senate Commission for the Study of Addiction Problems and approved a non-binding motion seeking to restrict sales channels for e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches and related products.
PP and PSOE reached an agreement in committee
The report said that, in a move described as unusual in the current political climate, PP and PSOE agreed on the motion in the commission.
The initiative, originally presented by the Socialist Group and later agreed with the Popular Party through a compromise amendment, was approved with 33 votes in favor, two against and one abstention. The two opposing votes came from Vox and the abstention came from Junts.
Sales would be limited to authorized and controlled channels
According to the proposal, sales of these products would be concentrated in controlled environments that comply not only with age requirements but also with health, tax and environmental rules.
The report said this would mean the products could only be sold in tobacco shops and specialized stores, while general retailers, bazaars and online sales platforms without effective age verification would be excluded.
The main aim is stronger protection for minors and young people
The report said the main objective of the proposal is to strengthen protection for minors and young people and to bring order to a market that currently shows major gaps in control.
The proposal is intended to reduce how easily adolescents currently access these products, despite their sale being limited to adults.
The proposal also focuses on traceability and market oversight
According to the report, the proposal also seeks to reinforce traceability for these products, whose distribution currently presents important control gaps, especially in the case of imported devices that do not offer health or tax guarantees.
The current anti-tobacco draft law does not address point-of-sale control
The report also said that the anti-tobacco draft law promoted by Spain’s Health Ministry is currently in a consultation period. That draft establishes a ban on minors smoking or vaping and even contemplates financial penalties for parents or legal guardians, but it does not include any measures to control points of sale.
The debate over smoke-free alternatives as cessation tools remains divided
The article said that the role of smoke-free alternatives as cessation tools for adult smokers has divided governments, health experts and regulators. It noted that countries such as the United Kingdom and New Zealand have developed models in which e-cigarettes are integrated into public health strategies under strict conditions of control, traceability and oversight.
Supporters argue controlled sales reduce youth normalization
According to the report, the premise is that when these devices are sold in clearly identified adult channels with age verification and oversight, their normalization among minors becomes more difficult.
By contrast, sales in general retail shops, non-specialized stores or digital platforms make impulse purchases easier and reduce the ability to control access.
The illegal market is part of the background to the proposal
The report said the approved motion is also linked to growing concern over the expansion of the illicit vape market in Europe. Several recent studies have warned about the mass entry of illegal devices, many of them originating in Asia, that do not comply with the health controls required by EU rules.
The report cites France and the Netherlands
The article said such products may contain nicotine concentrations above permitted levels, incorrect labeling or undeclared components, while also completely escaping tax control. Their sale is often concentrated in weakly supervised channels and in digital commerce.
It also said France has become one of the European countries most affected by illicit trade, with smuggling accounting for more than 40% of consumption and causing annual tax losses of more than €4.3 billion.
In addition, a report prepared in the Netherlands for the Health Ministry concluded that nearly nine out of ten people who vape consume illegal products or products purchased through unauthorized sales channels. According to the report, the Dutch government has announced measures against this black market and is considering banning the storage of such products.
However, the article also said the Dutch Council of State has warned that an overly prohibitionist approach could push even more sales into clandestine channels.
Image source: Joven vapeando ©EP
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