Dimitris Kouimtsidis
THE sale of menthol cigarettes has been banned throughout Spain from today.
The ban is part of the EU Tobacco Product Directive laws which was introduced in May 2014 and became applicable to European countries in May 2016.
Shops that are found selling the banned flavour can face a fine of up to €10,000.
One of the main reasons behind the banning of these types of cigarettes is that they’re seen as less harmful by young people because of their flavour.
Instead it has been proven that menthol cigarettes are just as harmful for people’s health and the authorities want to prevent youngsters from becoming addicted.
Menthol also has a dilating effect on the pulmonary alveoli, which causes a faster absorption of nicotine from tobacco by the consumer.
This in turn has a powerful addictive effect, which indirectly increases the addictive potential of the product as a whole.
A spokesperson for the Health Ministry said: “These flavours and aromas therefore increase the attractiveness of the product and there is a false perception that they are healthier or less harmful than other cigarettes or tobacco.
“For this reason, there are some consumers who choose this alternative instead of quitting permanently, which has a negative impact on your health and quality of life.”
Campaigners throughout the world have welcomed the new law, but are still unhappy with how long it took to implement.
The EU regulations also state that health warnings on tobacco and related products must cover 65% of the packaging and it also bans promoting tobacco products, e-cigarettes and ‘herbal products’ for smoking.
