Spanish region of Galicia bans smoking on the street due to Covid19

Spain's Galicia region has banned smoking[1] traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes in public places, fearing they could increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Galicia has banned smoking on the street and in public places, such as restaurant terraces and bars, if it is not possible to maintain a two-metre distance between individuals. The region in northwestern Spain is the first to introduce such a measure, although others are considering doing the same.

This comes as Spain faces the worst infection rate in Western Europe. Daily cases have risen from fewer than 150 in June to more than 1,500 in August. The country recorded 1,690 new cases in the latest daily tally on Wednesday, August 12, bringing the total number of cases in the country to nearly 330,000[2]This ban is added to other preventive measures in the region of Galicia, which with 30 cases per 100,000 inhabitants compared to 97 cases/100,000 inhabitants in the rest of Spain is not the most affected province.[3].

The smoking ban in Galicia was announced at a press conference on Wednesday (August 12) after experts recommended the measure to the regional government. The move is supported by a study by the Ministry of Health, published last month, which highlighted a link between smoking and the increased spread of coronavirus. The study said the risk was increased due to the handling and removal of masks by smokers but also through the projection of droplets when smoke was exhaled and putting the rest of the population at risk. The study recalled the known health risks associated with smoking: "Tobacco use, in all its forms, has been proven to aggravate the course of respiratory diseases."