Spain will ban smoking on the open-air terraces of bars and restaurants, expand smoke-free areas, and treat vapes and e-cigarettes the same as traditional tobacco products. This was announced by the country’s Health Minister, Monica Garcia, Reuters reports.

European countries, including the United Kingdom and France, are increasingly tightening rules on tobacco and vaping, viewing smoking not only as a threat to public health but also as a factor that reduces labor productivity and places a serious burden on public healthcare budgets.

The bill still has to be approved by Spain’s fragmented parliament. The main opposition People’s Party said its support would depend on the creation of designated smoking areas and guarantees that the hospitality sector would not suffer losses.

Garcia stressed that the goal of the new plan is to return Spain to the ranks of leaders in the fight against smoking. The country had previously carried out major reforms, banning smoking in enclosed workplaces in 2005 and inside bars and restaurants in 2010.

“Times have changed, new products have emerged, and we face new challenges in healthcare,” Garcia told reporters.

According to her, about 140 people die every day in Spain from smoking-related causes (around 50,000 per year), and 30% of cancer cases are directly linked to this harmful habit.