Cleaning Up Spanish Beaches
Cleaning Up Spanish Beaches
Popular Spanish tourist beaches in Majorca and Ibiza may become no smoking zones from this summer if a new proposal from the Balearic Government goes into effect.
The government is asking town councils across the islands to consider introducing a voluntary ban on smoking that would include every beach to safeguard the environment. Health officials have stated that tourists would benefit from smoke-free zones and it would help with the massive problem of cigarette butts which currently litter the sand and get washed out into the sea, harming wildlife.
Extremely drastic measures aren’t being taken regarding punishment as smokers will not be prosecuted under the new proposal. The government states that the idea is to promote a healthier lifestyle and avoid the risk of children accidentally swallowing cigarette butts while playing in sea or sand.
The government is asking town councils across the islands to consider introducing a voluntary ban on smoking that would include every beach to safeguard the environment. Health officials have stated that tourists would benefit from smoke-free zones and it would help with the massive problem of cigarette butts which currently litter the sand and get washed out into the sea, harming wildlife.
Extremely drastic measures aren’t being taken regarding punishment as smokers will not be prosecuted under the new proposal. The government states that the idea is to promote a healthier lifestyle and avoid the risk of children accidentally swallowing cigarette butts while playing in sea or sand.
Thailand has already provided a template for smokeless success – last year they banned cigarettes at 24 separate seaside beauty spots, and extended the laws further in the March.
According to 2018 figures collected by NGO Ocean Conservancy, roughly 60 million cigarette butts have been collected from the seas since the mid-Eighties, far outstripping the numbers of coffee cups or plastic straws.
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about how the Spanish government is Cleaning Up Spanish Beaches! Do you think this ban is going to help clean up the beaches / reduce the environmental impact of the tourist season? Join the conversation below!