PSOE and PP have sealed a parliamentary agreement to ask the Government to strengthen control over the marketing of vapes and nicotine pouches, with a focus on protecting minors and young people.
The initiative moved forward on April 14 in the Joint Commission for the Study of Addiction Problems, where it was approved in the form of a compromise amendment between both groups with 33 votes in favor, 2 against, and 1 abstention.
The non-binding proposal, initially presented by the Socialist Group, urges to “circumscribe the sale of vaping products, nicotine pouches, and other tobacco-related products to authorized channels in accordance with current regulations”, expressly excluding their marketing “on the Internet and in non-specialized stores”. It also calls for intensifying control to guarantee traceability, taxation, and sanitary and environmental compliance.
Block minors
During the debate, the socialist spokesperson defended that the initiative pursued a “double purpose”: to prevent smoking through greater control of access to these products and to reinforce responsibility in their marketing. The text places the protection of the minor and young population as one of the priorities of the measure.
The PP backed the initiative's core and ended up agreeing on its final wording with the PSOE. The result was a common text that aims to concentrate sales in authorized establishments and exclude the internet and non-specialized stores from the circuit, a formula that both groups consider more suitable for reinforcing age verification and market supervision.
Vaping, less harmful than smoking
The political debate takes place in parallel to a broader health discussion. The British NHS maintains that vaping is not without risks, but emphasizes that it is less harmful than smoking and can help some adults quit tobacco. The British Government further maintains that vaping can play a role in smoking cessation for adult smokers, while insisting that minors should not vape.
In New Zealand, the Ministry of Health specifically regulates these products and recognizes in its guide to quitting smoking that nicotine vaping devices can help some people quit or reduce tobacco consumption, although it has also tightened rules in recent years to reduce their appeal among young people.
In France, ANSES and Santé publique France maintain a cautious position: vaping is not harmless, it should not encourage consumption among non-smokers or young people, but it can be considered as a temporary solution for adult smokers to quit. Santé publique France adds that, for smoking cessation, aids with proven effectiveness should be prioritized.