Ban on smoking on Barcelona’s beaches comes into force
A new regulation that prohibits smoking on the beaches of Barcelona came into force this Friday, July 1.
Locals have been announced for the last three months about the measure that they intend to make the city’s 10 beaches remain smoke-free throughout the year.
Last summer, the city implemented a pilot ban on four games in which researchers saw a sharp drop in the number of smokers, even though those who violated the rule were not fined.
For example, in the last week of the pilot measure, 19% of visitors during non-regulated beaches smoked, while only 2.6% of those on smoke-free beaches did. Around 20% of Barcelona’s population smokes daily.
A survey by the Barcelona City Council, meanwhile, found that more than 80% of residents are in favor of a ban on beaches.
The fine for those who break the new rule will be EUR 30. Smoking is not only harmful to human health, but can also be harmful to the environment.
One study found that cigarette butts are the most abundant item of desire on Western Mediterranean beaches, accounting for 25% of all objects collected.
Cigarette butts take a decade to decompose and, being light, easily make their way from land to sea, where they accumulate.
These wastes release chemicals into the environment and can be consumed by wildlife, both in their whole form and when broken down into microplastics.
Barcelona is the first major Spanish city to crack down on smoking on beaches, but the trend is on the rise across the country.
As of May 2022, around 550 beaches across Spain were smoke-free, a clear increase from 2014, when smoking was banned on just 15 beaches, according to an anti-tobacco NGO.
*Aicha Sandoval Alaguna contributed to the writing of this article.
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