Survey finds locals in Spain support smoking bans and increased tobacco taxes

A SURVEY says there’s overwhelming support for extending bans on smoking in public places coupled with a hike in tobacco taxes.

The study was conducted for the Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC) which has family doctors as members.

Every year some 50,000 people die in Spain due to tobacco, according to the latest data available from the Ministry of Health.

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In addition, smoking is associated with 35 diseases, such as lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, COPD or diabetes.

74% of those questioned in the semiFYC survey said they want hospitality terraces and public transport stops/shelters to ban smoking and vaping.

That figure rises to 85% in relation to school entrances and surroundings areas.

The semFYC study spoke to 9.500 people for its annual smoking survey which was published on Monday to coincide with Smoke-Free Week.

As the government looks to toughen up smoking regulations, the survey claims that the number of people wanting further restrictions has risen compared to last year.

Other findings include 65% support for prohibition in parks, 63% for beaches, and perhaps surprisingly- a 53% in favour of smoking being banned its private vehicles.

There is a generational divide with teenage support for new smoke-free areas running at between 20% to 30% lower, due to the popularity of vaping.

Doctors are said to be worried by the findings in relation to adolescents with boys aged 14 to 18- despite a sales ban- vaping nine times more than the rest of the population.

10% of them use vapes- a 70% increase compared to a year ago.

Medics say that vaping is the gateway to tobacco among young people, as evidenced by the fact that 93% combine both habits, though in adolescence, more people vape than smoke.

That changes totally after turning 18 years of age, when legal cigarette or tobacco purchases can be made with vape products dropping into third place.

Another conclusion of the survey shows majority backing for putting on higher taxes on tobacco and e-cigarettes to cut consumption.

74.6% of people surveyed supported a price hike which experts feel could cut smoking numbers by as much as 15%.