A draft legislation by the government in Portugal has been announced in an effort to limit tobacco sales and ban smoking in covered terraces and on the premises of schools, hospitals, and sports venues.

This comes amid efforts to strive for a smoke-free generation by 2040.

Health Minister Manuel Pizarro sees the proposals as an intention to tackle the use of tobacco rather than be a consequence to smokers or business owners. 

“This is a bill that takes firm steps towards promoting health and protecting people from exposure to tobacco smoke,” he said on Thursday.

If approved by parliament, the ban on smoking outside bars, restaurants and cafes, including next to public buildings such as hospitals, schools, universities and sports venues will be effective as of 23 October.

“We propose extending the ban on smoking outdoors within the perimeter of public access or collective use areas – above all in spaces where the most vulnerable people are present,” Pizarro added.

Read more: Smokeless tobacco during pregnancy linked to risk of cot death

The proposal also includes banning the sale of tobacco in bars, cafes, restaurants, and petrol stations starting in 2025, and only allowing tobacco sales from licensed tobacco sellers, airport shops, or from vending machines located 300 meters from schools and other educational facilities.

In an attempt to restrict the exposure of tobacco and e-cigarettes to the youth, flavored tobacco product sales will also be limited, alongside “advertising, promotion and sponsorship, to discourage experimentation, consumption and dependence”. 

Establishing new smoking areas would be banned starting next year but bars, clubs and restaurants that already have permission can keep the spaces until 2030.

The country's Socialist government stated that this aimed to save thousands of lives yearly by diminishing incentives for tobacco consumption.

Tobacco consumption, per government data, contributes to two-thirds of deaths among smokers, as there were 13,500 deaths recorded in 2019 to the same cause in Portugal, whose population is only a little over 10.3 million.

The Provar restaurant association claimed that it is considered a hit against small businesses trying to get a source of revenue, while the move was called unfair by the national association of fuel retailers, which operates petrol stations.

Read next: Juul Labs settles litigation involving more than 10,000 plaintiffs

France also decided to jump on the initiative as well, as Health Minister Francois Braun announced that the French government may ban disposable electronic cigarettes by the end of 2023. 

"I'm in favor of a ban... they [electronic cigarettes] lead some of our young people towards using tobacco," Braun told broadcaster France Inter.

"Smoking is a scourge, it kills 75,000 people per year [in France]" he added.

Even according to data released last month, smoking has never been less popular in the United States, as only one in every nine American adults reported smoking in 2022, the lowest rate in US history.