Nofumadores.org calls on Spanish political parties to commit to the fight against tobacco.

The anti-smoking association Nofumadores.org has called on all Spanish political parties to commit to reintroducing the anti-smoking bill, approved by the Spanish Council of Ministers on July 21, 2026, during the next legislative session.[1]. The organization is calling on the future government, formed after the general elections scheduled for November 29, 2026, to revive the reform project that had already been presented to the Congress of Deputies and then referred to the Health Committee in September. The organization believes this reform must be considered a public health priority, in order to strengthen the protection of the population against all tobacco and nicotine-related products. It identifies several areas for action, including regulating advertising, limiting flavors likely to appeal to teenagers, and strengthening the protection of minors.

Raquel Fernández Megina, president of Nofumadores.org, is calling for a national political agreement on this issue. According to her, public health policies cannot remain based on a reality that has evolved, given the diversification of nicotine products and consumption methods. She is asking political parties to commit to continuing the work already undertaken and the next government not to abandon the reform project. The association's president also emphasizes that protecting health, especially that of children and adolescents, should not depend on electoral deadlines or political divisions. While the decrease in the number of smokers represents collective progress, she believes it would be premature to conclude that the fight against smoking and nicotine addiction is over, considering the emergence of new forms of consumption.

A decrease in smoking does not mean the end of nicotine addiction.

Nofumadores.org welcomes the decline in daily smoking in Spain, highlighted by the 2025 National Health Survey, conducted by the Ministry of Health and the National Institute of Statistics (INE). According to its findings, 15.4% of the population aged 15 and over smoked daily in 2025, compared to 16.6% in 2023. The association considers this trend progress but cautions against interpreting it as meaning that the problem of nicotine addiction is being resolved. According to Nofumadores.org, the historic decline in traditional smoking is accompanied by the consolidation of new forms of nicotine consumption. Electronic cigarettes and other devices containing this substance are playing an increasingly important role in consumption habits, which, according to the organization, necessitates broadening the scope of prevention and regulatory policies.

Raquel Fernández Megina believes that the decrease in the number of people smoking cigarettes is good news, but should not be confused with the disappearance of nicotine addiction. She emphasizes that manufacturers have diversified their products and methods of consumption. In this context, Nofumadores.org proposes broadening the discussion around smoking to encompass nicotine addiction as a whole, in order to consider all forms of consumption that can perpetuate this addiction. The organization therefore believes that public health policies must move beyond an approach focused exclusively on traditional cigarettes. It calls for the integration of new nicotine products into prevention measures, with particular attention paid to vaping devices and the risks they may pose to young people.

Vaping is increasing among teenagers

Among Nofumadores.org's main concerns is the increasing use of e-cigarettes among teenagers. According to figures cited by the organization, 27.1% of students aged 14 to 18 used an e-cigarette in the past 30 days, compared to 26.3% in 2023. This increase contrasts with the decline observed in traditional tobacco use among young people. Over the same period, the proportion of teenagers using traditional cigarettes fell from 21% to 15.5%. Furthermore, the proportion of young people reporting having tried an e-cigarette decreased from 54.6% to 49.5%.

For Nofumadores.org, these developments should be interpreted with caution. Despite the decline in lifetime experimentation, the increase in recent use shows that e-cigarettes continue to play a significant role in adolescent consumption habits. The association's president emphasizes that it would be contradictory to celebrate the historical decline in smoking while ignoring the fact that more than one in four teenagers in this age group report having vaped in the past month. She clarifies that not all vaping devices necessarily contain nicotine, but believes that this data warrants particular attention, given the characteristics of products presented with flavors, designs, and formats likely to appeal to young people.

The protection of young people is at the heart of reform demands

Nofumadores.org believes that the diversification of products and marketing strategies within the industry necessitates regulatory adaptation. According to the association, manufacturers are seeking to maintain their business by developing new forms of consumption, while the use of traditional cigarettes is declining. Raquel Fernández Megina emphasizes that while products, flavors, and marketing strategies are evolving, nicotine remains a highly addictive substance. The association therefore believes that prevention efforts should aim to prevent new generations from developing an addiction, regardless of the product used. In this context, Nofumadores.org calls for the reform of the anti-smoking law It covers a broader range of tobacco and nicotine-related products. Its main demands concern the regulation of advertising, flavors attractive to teenagers, and the strengthening of measures to protect minors.

The organization is therefore calling on political parties to set aside electoral differences and resume the legislative work already underway. It hopes that the next government will make this reform a public health priority, adapting regulations to the evolution of products and uses, and continuing efforts to reduce smoking while preventing the spread of nicotine addiction.

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[1]Nofumadores.org urges the next Government to recover the reform of the anti-tobacco law in the new legislature, Democrata, published on October 22, 2026, accessed on October 26, 2026

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