In Spain, the e-cigarette market is expected to reach a value of €151.80 million by 2022, with an annual growth of 1.91%. Although most of the profits on this industry is still generated from the United States, with €6,327.00 million in 2022, the numbers are not negligible in the European country whose government still seems to be debating between the pros and cons of these devices.
From Vapori, one of the online vape shops that offers our products in that country, we got this post in which they´ll clarify everything related to vaping regulations in Spain.
Is it legal to vape in Spain?
Even though vaping in Spain is legal, the Ministry of Health considers, in their 2022 annual report about e-cigarettes, that “these devices aren’t safe for the consumer”. They claim that short term evidence has shown their negative effects on the respiratory tract, and remarks that the generated aerosol contains toxic substances that are potentially carcinogens. Which in the long run can cause cancer in consumers and in those passively exposed to the aerosol.
As an interesting point of comparison: in France, the same institution estimates that almost 700.000 people have stopped smoking thanks to e-cigarettes, and even in New Zealand, there is a government website addressed to those who are interested in vaping as an alternative to smoking.
Still as we stated before, vape is legal in Spain, but there are restrictions related to where it is permitted or not.
Where can you vape in Spain?
So, in Spain, you can vape in certain public and private areas, but is totally forbidden in the following places:
- Government facilities, such as public order offices and entities dedicated to public law.
- Hospitals and any establishment or service of sanitary use, such as pharmacies, clinics, etc.
- Schools and educational and training centers, except in those dedicated to the exclusive education of adults, where you can vape away from nearby sidewalks and immediate access to the educational areas.
- Children’s playgrounds, that are exclusively for the children ‘s entertainment.
- Public urban, railway, maritime and air transport, although some private travel companies might allow vaping.
Apart from this, you can still vape in public or private places, given the following circumstances:
- Private or indoor establishments that don’t have a ban on vaping, ultimately is the owner´s or administration´s choice. If there is no sign about this topic, you can vape freely.
- Bars, nightclubs and restaurants, especially if they have a smoking area, since people who want to vape will be considered as smokers.
Vape regulation in Spain
Before talking about the places where you can buy vapes in Spain, it’s necessary to know about the current regulations for the sale of electronic cigarettes in Spain.
As in the rest of the European Union, the TPD regulations set the requirements that this type of device and its derivative products must meet:
- E-liquids cannot exceed 20 mg/ml of nicotine, and in no case can they be marketed in bottles with volumes greater than 10 ml.
- Vapes cannot carry tanks or cartridges with volumes greater than 2 ml. Likewise, deposits of more than 2 ml cannot be marketed.
- The products must carry warnings about the presence of nicotine in them, discouraging their use by non-smokers.
- The packaging must contain both the ingredients in decreasing order of concentration, as well as the nicotine strength.
So, if you´re used to vape on a device with a larger tank, or enjoy a disposable vape with nicotine that gives you more than 600 puffs (the average of a vape with 2 ml of filling) we recommend you take your supplies to Spain , because you will not be able to buy them there.
Where to buy e-cigarettes in Spain?
Still, in beautiful Spain you can buy a wide variety of vape related products in tobacconists, vape shops and online vape stores. You will find the best advice in the last two, since usually those who work in them have experience in the use and recommendation of these products.
Some of the most renowned vape shops in the region are Bazar del Vapeo, Vapori, Sin Humo Sevilla, Vaperalia and many others. The list extends to hundreds of tobacconists and dozens of stores in each city, so you will have plenty of brands, types and designs to choose from!
