Smoking bans are spreading to more and more areas. Indoor public places like restaurants and bars have had smoking bans in place for a long time. Only open areas, such as terraces, should use this. Until now, because laws are limiting smoking areas for the sake of a healthier and more sanitary environment for all. Nonsmoking beaches are one of the final strongholds.
The municipal council of Calpe decided to ban smoking on the town’s beaches and coves, with the exception of two areas on the larger beaches, La Fossa and Arenal-Bol, despite the fact that this matter was discussed and supported by a public survey commissioned by the City Council in Alicante.
In particular, this prohibition and the associated fines were passed during the regular February council meeting as a modification to the municipal ordinance on the use and administration of the coastline. The council was informed that this project was a joint effort between the Department of Environment and the Health Prevention Department.
The battle against this destructive habit has progressed to a new level. Arenal-Bol, La Fossa, and Cantal Roig beaches were designated as smoke-free zones last year after the Calpe City Council joined the Health Department’s Smoke-Free Beaches Network. This move was made to encourage a cleaner and healthier environment. “Last year we started creating spaces for non-smokers, and this year we are reversing the initiative so that smoking is prohibited throughout the Calpe coastline, except for two small areas,” adds Itziar Doval, a leader in health prevention.
Plaza Mediterrani in La Fossa and Plaza Colón in Arenal-Bol are the exact locations of the two approved places. In addition, tourist information centres will provide reusable ashtrays in designated smoking locations so that people won’t throw them out in the sand. Cigarette butts are a very polluting waste product, and this program is also trying to stop them.
“On one hand, we protect the health of beachgoers, which are often frequented by children and where sports are practiced, which is incompatible with tobacco, and on the other hand, we take care of our coastline and promote beaches free of ‘litter’,” says Pere Moll, an Environment Councillor.
Author: Derek Appleton
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