Spain holiday warning as smoking is banned at ANOTHER top beach location
SMOKING has been banned at another popular Spanish beach as the tough crackdown on cigarettes continues.
Caló des Moro is the first “smoke-free” beach in San Antonio, Ibiza, meaning holidaymakers can no longer spark up on the sand.
Sant Antoni City Council said they want smokers to clean up their act and stop discarding butts on the party island’s famed beaches.
As well as this, they hope banning smoking will improve the health of locals and holidaymakers alike.
Although Caló des Moro is currently the only beach in the region forbidding tourists from having a puff, it isn’t expected to be the last.
The local authority plan to roll out the smoke-free scheme across beaches in San Antonio if the trial run proves a success.
Hotspots in Ibiza including the Playa de Santa Eulalia de Rio and Playa de Talamanca have already banned smoking.
A new law was passed in Spain last year that gives local municipalities the power to fine anyone caught lighting up on the beach.
But it is up to each individual region to decide whether to impose the law – who then have the power to dish out penalties of up to £1,700.
Councillor for the Environment, Pepita Torres, said she wants to “raise awareness among citizens” to keep beaches clean and stop sunbathers being bothered by smoke.
Sant Antoni béach coordinator José Porras explained a team had been out to clear the sand of cig butts that had been dumped.
He told Diario de Ibiza: “We have collected quite a few butts this last week and we will continue all summer.
“Also, there are people who, when they see us, join us and help us. We are having a very good reception from users.”
Torres went on to claim that holidaymakers have been flocking to the beach in the wake of the announcement, suggesting the public approves of the smoke-free scheme.
She added: “It is a campaign that comes from the Health and Environment Department of the Balearic Government and aims to promote tobacco-free beaches, which is why we have also decided to join the initiative.”
Locals also expressed their support for the smoking ban, with many explaining their frustrations at the piles of butts littered across beaches.
One man said: “I think it is necessary. Anyone who wants to smoke should do so away from others and, above all, pick up the butts.”
Another added: “I would like to believe that people will comply, because the future belongs to everyone.
“I have a six-year-old boy and I always instill in him that you shouldn’t leave garbage on the beach.”
And a third resident chimed in: “I think they should place more emphasis on cleanliness, especially in young people, because it is their future and more should be insisted on so that they become aware of the importance of the environment.”
Across Spain, holidaymakers have been warned they could be slapped with fines under strict new rules for smokers.
Popular beaches such as Barcelona, Lanzarote and Tenerife have prohibited the habit – but it has now been extended to bar terraces.
This is in place across the Valencia region, which includes Brit-favourite Benidorm, or the Balearic Islands.
However, some tourists have been ignoring the lack of ashtrays and the repeated warning signs.