Only five Autonomous Communities, including Catalonia, the Canary Islands and Navarra, have adhered to the Comprehensive Plan for the Prevention and Control of Smoking (PIT) 2024-2027, while the rest have decided “not to cast a vote” because they believe that the procedure “it is not the right one,” as Europa Press has learned.
However, this Plan will be approved within the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System (CISNS) this Friday, regardless of how many Autonomous Communities are in favor or against.
At this time, all the autonomies, including Ceuta and Melilla, have sent an email to Health communicating their position regarding the Plan, as agreed at the meeting of the Public Health Commission this Wednesday, once they have reviewed the proposed changes and the allegations presented.
Given that the Plan will also be approved, Health has explained that it called the last two meetings of the Public Health Commission to seek a “consensus.”
In line with what the Minister of Health, Mónica García, has been saying in recent weeks, these same sources have assured that the Plan will soon be reflected “in a law.” However, the CCAA that want to establish some of the measures in the document before state regulations are developed will be able to do so because “they will have an endorsement.”
Among the CCAA that have taken a position against it is Cantabria, although it has assured that it will abide by it if the Ministry of Health approves it because it is not going to “confront” or act “in rebellion.”
“It does not seem serious to us, we believe that if a plan is made it has to be with all the consequences and with the consensus of the communities and not quickly and rushing and modifying the documents as they are being permanently modified,” said the Minister of Health, Caesar Pascual.
The president of the Cantabrian Executive, María José Sáenz de Buruaga, believes that the Plan is not the instrument to establish prohibitions; and she has criticized that it is the result of an “imposition”, in which she has prioritized “unilaterality”.
Likewise, Buruaga has reiterated that Cantabria is not in favor of prohibiting smoking on terraces, but is committed to awareness-raising measures and prevention and education policies, as well as incentives and self-regulation.
SOME CCAA REQUEST AN ECONOMIC REPORT
For his part, the Minister of Health, Marciano Gómez, has stressed that the position of the Valencian Community is “clear”: “Defense of health, we are going to defend smoke-free spaces.” “Our position is to defend at all costs tomorrow in the Interterritorial Council, and I personally, the position of defending the health of Valencians,” he insisted. However, he has demanded “a justifying economic report, which the Ministry has not presented,” he regretted.
Extremadura, although it has been in favor of there being a plan for the control and prevention of smoking, hopes that a debate can be “opened” at the CISNS meeting this Friday despite the Ministry’s decision to approve the plan in the full even if not all the Autonomous Communities adhere.
On the other hand, the Balearic Islands will not support this Plan either, a decision based on the lack of “concretion” of some measures, especially with regard to the economic memory and the financing of the planned actions.
Likewise, Castilla y León sees it as “wrong” that 24 hours have been given to decide whether or not to support the Anti-Tobacco Plan, and defends a reduction in consumption with agreed measures.
