Smoking bans in place in almost 100 beaches and swimming pools across Spain’s Andalucia

ALMOST 100 Andalucian beaches and municipal swimming pools will be smoke-free this summer.

The Junta’s ‘Smoke-free beaches’ initiative, launched last year in 21 Andalucian beaches, has become increasingly widespread.

In fact, a total of 42 Andalucia beaches have now joined the “Beaches Without Smoke” campaign.

The majority are located in Cadiz (22), followed by Malaga (10), Almeria (4), Huelva (4), Granada (1) and Cordoba with one inland beach.

Additionally, 50 municipal swimming pools have also joined the scheme, 11 smoke-free pools can be found in Jaen, followed by Sevilla (9), Cadiz (8), Huelva (8), Cordoba (6), Almeria (3), Granada (3) and Malaga (2).

This initiative, idea of the Andalucian Network of Health Services and Smoke-Free Spaces, promoted by the General Directorate of Public Health and Pharmaceutical Management of the Ministry of Health and Families, seeks to raise awareness of the negative consequences of smoking on beaches.

Apart from eliminating secondhand smoke exposure and cigarette butt litter, smoke-free beaches also eliminate one of the most toxic contaminants of the ocean, as cigarette butts pollute up to 50 liters of water with nicotine and tar, taking 10 years to degrade, during which time it is consumed by fish and entered into the food chain.

During the presentation of the ‘Smoke-free beaches’ campaign in Huelva this Monday, Jesus Aguirre, the Minister of Health and Families, the Minister of Health and Families, said: “This project aims to promote healthy habits to improve health and the quality of life, increase environmental quality, reduce pollution, and improve the image of our coasts.”

According to Aguirre, any city council in Andalucia that has a beach area can join this project by applying online.

The beaches that wish to participate then go through an evaluation and accreditation process with four levels: member, bronze, silver, and gold.

Afterwhich it’s down to each city council to assume the responsibility of implementing the necessary policies on their beaches to keep them smoke-free spaces.

Smoke-free beaches in Andalucia:

• Almeria: Vera, Cuevas de Almanzora (Quitapellejos- Palomares / Pozo del Esparto) and Adra (San Nicolas).
• Granada: Motril
• Malaga: Algarrobo, Torrox, Estepona, Velez-Malaga (Lagos, Mezquitilla, Caleta, Torre del Mar, Almayate, Valle Nizas and Benajarafe).
• Cadiz: Conil de la Frontera (La Fontanilla and El Chorrillo), Vejer (El Palmar), Tarifa (Playa Chica, Atlanterra, Valdevaqueros, Lances Sur and Norte and Bolonia), Arcos de la Frontera, Puerto de Santa María, La Linea, Puerto Real (La Cachucha, La Ministra and El Conchal), Zahara de la Sierra (Playita de Arroyomolinos), Sanlucar (Bajo Guía, Calzada-Piletas and Jara) and Barbate (Caños de Meca, Zahora, El Carmen and Zahara de los Atunes).
• Cordoba: Almodovar del Rio (inland beach).
• Huelva: Isla Cristina, Punta Umbria, Lepe and Ayamonte.

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