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Tag: Spain

  • Spain Looks to Include Most Nicotine Products as It Extends Smoking Ban

    Spain Looks to Include Most Nicotine Products as It Extends Smoking Ban

    Spain’s government unveiled draft legislation that would ban smoking on outdoor bar and restaurant terraces while significantly expanding the country’s smoke-free areas and applying the same public-use restrictions to vaping products, heated tobacco products, nicotine pouches, hookahs, and herbal inhalation devices as conventional cigarettes. The proposal, which still requires parliamentary approval, would also prohibit smoking within 15 meters of entrances to public buildings, schools, healthcare facilities, and playgrounds, as well as at sports venues, universities, public swimming pools, work vehicles, and public events.

    The hospitality sector has opposed the terrace smoking ban, warning it could shift smoking into private homes and negatively affect businesses.

  • Spain Busts Syndicate Making 8M Illicit Cigarettes a Day

    Spain Busts Syndicate Making 8M Illicit Cigarettes a Day

    Spanish authorities dismantled two international criminal organizations operating six clandestine cigarette factories capable of producing nearly eight million counterfeit cigarettes per day. The operation, led by the Guardia Civil in coordination with Europol and law enforcement agencies in Poland and Lithuania, resulted in 50 arrests following raids across Alicante, Cuenca, Huelva, Murcia, Sevilla, and Toledo. Authorities seized more than 20 million counterfeit cigarettes, 38.4 metric tons of tobacco, 18 vehicles, encrypted electronic devices, firearms, and €170,000 in cash, with the tobacco products valued at more than €10 million. Two Polish fugitives were extradited, while seven suspects were remanded in custody.

    Investigators said the criminal networks manufactured counterfeit versions of well-known cigarette brands for distribution across Spain and other European markets, including Portugal, France, and potentially the United Kingdom. The factories also supplied third-party criminal groups and housed exploited workers in makeshift living quarters inside production facilities. The investigation began seven years ago after intelligence from Europol and authorities in Poland and Lithuania identified a Polish-led criminal network operating from Spain.

  • Spain’s Tobacco Prices Rise Again

    Spain’s Tobacco Prices Rise Again

    Spain implemented another round of tobacco price increases, with new adjustments for cigars, cigarillos, rolling tobacco, and pipe tobacco published in the official state gazette on May 8 and taking effect the following day. The changes, which follow earlier revisions in April, reflect a pattern of frequent, incremental price updates driven by manufacturer submissions, rising production and transport costs, and broader inflation pressures. Premium cigars and imported products have seen notable increases, while rolling tobacco and pipe tobacco prices have also climbed across multiple formats.

    The latest update reinforces a broader trend in 2026 of gradual but continuous price increases across tobacco categories rather than single large adjustments. Under Spain’s pricing system, manufacturers regularly submit revised price lists for approval, resulting in ongoing shifts in retail pricing, particularly in non-cigarette segments.

  • Spain Moves to Restrict Vape Sales

    Spain Moves to Restrict Vape Sales

    Spain’s two main political parties—the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) and the Popular Party (PP)—agreed to support restrictions on the sale of vaping products to licensed and controlled retail channels. The non-legislative proposal, approved by a parliamentary commission, would limit the sale of e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, and related products to tobacconists and specialized stores, excluding online platforms and general retail outlets.

    The measure is aimed at reducing youth access and improving oversight in a market authorities say has significant control gaps, particularly around imported and non-compliant products. While the proposal seeks to strengthen age verification, traceability, and regulatory compliance, it comes as Spain’s broader anti-smoking legislation, currently under consultation, does not include similar controls on points of sale, highlighting ongoing policy inconsistencies.

  • Regulation Battles Coming as Spain’s Pouch Market Expands

    Regulation Battles Coming as Spain’s Pouch Market Expands

    Spain’s nicotine pouch market is experiencing rapid growth, with sales reaching 5 million cans in 2025 and projected to rise 60% to 8 million in 2026, according to industry estimates. The category, currently comprising 20 to 30 brands, remains in an early development phase but has expanded significantly since 2024, with increasing adoption among domestic consumers, according to La Razon. Average pricing stands at around €5 per can, with products typically containing 5 to 20 mg of nicotine per pouch.

    However, the sector faces regulatory uncertainty as Spain’s Health Ministry considers limiting nicotine content to 0.99 mg per pouch, a move industry representatives warn would effectively eliminate the category. The Asociación de Bolsas de Nicotina argues that such a cap would remove viable alternatives for adult consumers and potentially drive demand toward illicit markets or combustible tobacco. The group is advocating for proportionate regulation, controlled retail channels, and a tiered tax framework as the market continues to develop.

  • Spain’s PSOE Wants to Restrict Sale of Vapes, Pouches

    Spain’s PSOE Wants to Restrict Sale of Vapes, Pouches

    The Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) submitted a non-legislative proposal in Congress to restrict the sale of vapes and nicotine pouches, according to Infosalus. The initiative seeks to ban online sales and prohibit their availability in non-specialized retail outlets, limiting distribution to authorized stores only. The move is part of a broader effort to curb consumption and protect public health, particularly among young people, by tightening control over access to these products.

    “The objective is to put an end to the current ‘lack of control’ in the marketing of these products, which, in its opinion, facilitates tax evasion and non-compliance with current health and environmental regulations,” Infosalus wrote.

  • Selected Tobacco Opens Spain’s First Premium Cigar Factory in 50 Years

    Selected Tobacco Opens Spain’s First Premium Cigar Factory in 50 Years

    Selected Tobacco opened a new 3,000-square-meter (30,000-square-foot) premium cigar factory in Madrid, marking the return of premium cigar production to Spain for the first time in more than 50 years. The five-story facility signals a rare revival of Spain’s historic role in global tobacco manufacturing, reintroduced through a modern, vertically integrated model focused on long-term aging, craftsmanship, and controlled production.

    Founded by Nelson Alfonso, and known for cigar brands Atabey, Byron, Alfonso, and Bandolero, Selected Tobacco said Madrid was the sole location considered for the project, reflecting Alfonso’s personal connection to Spain and a deliberate effort to rebuild the country’s presence in premium cigar making through contemporary infrastructure rather than nostalgia.

    The facility is designed to guide tobacco and visitors through the entire production lifecycle. Raw tobacco enters on the ground floor for sorting, fermentation, and aging, while upper levels house design studios, rolling galleries for master torcedores, and a central space capable of hosting industry and consumer events. A key feature is what the company describes as the world’s largest multi-cedar-lined humidor, consisting of 24 individual aging rooms, supporting Selected Tobacco’s proprietary aging protocols.

    Additional areas are dedicated to fermentation and leaf aging, including rooms equipped with French oak wine barrels used to rest wrapper and filler tobaccos. A hydroponic grow room supports seed development and agricultural experimentation, reinforcing a seed-to-cigar philosophy. The top floor includes a private smoking lounge and terrace overlooking Madrid, emphasizing hospitality alongside production.

  • Spain Moves Toward Outdoor Smoking Ban

    Spain Moves Toward Outdoor Smoking Ban

    The Spanish government approved a draft bill that could ban smoking on bar and restaurant terraces, as well as in public spaces such as parks, playgrounds, swimming pools, bus shelters, train stations, and university campuses. The legislation, still subject to parliamentary approval, would also include e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and hookahs, effectively covering all smoking and vaping devices.

    The draft bill would also prohibit the sale of single-use e-cigarettes and restrict all tobacco advertising, including sponsorships and promotions at events, aiming to reduce tobacco’s visibility and appeal, particularly among youth. Violations could result in fines of up to €600,000, and establishments would be required to acknowledge the ban with clear displays.

    The law is currently undergoing public consultation, allowing associations, companies, regional governments, and citizens to provide feedback. Following review, the bill must pass Congress and the Senate before becoming official, with final implementation expected in the coming years if approved.

  • Spain Probes Tobacco Smuggling Via Drones

    Spain Probes Tobacco Smuggling Via Drones

    Spanish authorities have launched an investigation into drone-led tobacco smuggling in La Línea after several devices were spotted near Gibraltar Airport, disrupting flights and forcing an RAF aircraft to divert to Portugal. According to Europa Sur, Spanish agencies have detected a sharp rise in smuggling groups using drones to bypass both the land frontier and traditional maritime routes. Customs officials say they are now coordinating with multiple enforcement bodies to counter the tactic.

    In London, Gibraltar representative John Cortes raised the issue with UK Minister of State for Defence Lord Coaker, highlighting the airport’s increasing exposure to drone incursions. The Royal Gibraltar Police, the MOD, and local aviation authorities have been investigating illegal drone activity for several months, as cross-border smuggling operations evolve.

  • Spain Implements New Tobacco Price Increases

    Spain Implements New Tobacco Price Increases

    Spain’s Official State Gazette (Boletín Oficial del Estado, BOE) confirmed new price increases for certain cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, and pipe tobacco, effective November 15. The changes, applicable across mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands, are mandatory for all authorized retailers.

    A pack of Mark 1 Red 100’s cigarettes now costs €4.60. Adrian Magnus cigars are priced between €5.95 and €8.10 per unit, while Montego cigars range from €4.50 to €5.75. Pipe tobacco, including Hampton Pipe Gold, is now €1.70 per 20g pack, with premium blends such as Samuel Gawith and Sebero between €5.25 and €26.50.

    These changes follow other price updates announced previously for well-known brands like B.N., Ducados, and Farias. The updates reflect production, distribution, and tax cost adjustments, and form part of Spain’s ongoing health policy to discourage smoking through pricing.