Spain Bans Smoking On Beaches?
Irish tourists have been warned of a new rule on certain beaches in Spain that could see people fined heft sums. Smoking is now illegal on all beaches in Barcelona, with the ban coming into effect since Friday, July 1. This means that anyone caught smoking on any of the city’s beaches will be fined €30.
The new law comes after a pilot project last year which saw smoking banned on four of the city’s 10 local beaches. The pilot project saw the amount of cigarettes butts left on the beach greatly reduced, which prompted the new law to be introduced.
READ MORE: The city website states: “This ban is based on environmental protection & the right of citizens to enjoy a clean public space, free of smoke & cigarette butts. ” Spain has some of the toughest anti-smoking laws in Europe. Smoking has also been banned on beaches in other parts of Spain for environmental reasons. READ NEXT :
- Former garda jailed for sickening ‘alcohol-fuelled’ assaults on women
- Rat infestation found at child detention centre housing Ana Kriegel’s killers
- Hopes of justice for Michaela McAreavey dashed as linked case thrown out
- Ireland house prices: The salary you need to buy a home in every county in 2022
- Met Éireann predict surge in temperatures to arrive in early July forecast
Get breaking news to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter .
Can you smoke on the street in Spain?
Esteve Fernández, Cristina Martínez Spain has been heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. From the first diagnosed case on January 31 this year to August 13, there were 337,334 cases, 129,009 hospitalizations and 28,605 deaths. After a growing number of daily cases of coronavirus across the country in recent weeks, Spain is going to regulate smoking in public outdoor spaces such as streets and terraces, based on the rationale that smoking can spread the virus.
Despite the Spanish tobacco control law already having a smoking ban in some outdoor areas , including schools, health care campuses and children’s playgrounds, there is only a partial ban in terraces , based on overall coverage and the number of walls.
Smoking in open public places is very common in Spain, where 24% of the adult population smoke. The national regulation of smoking in outdoor places follows the initiative from the regional Government of Galicia, announced on August 13. Prompted by this announcement, several other regional governments publicly expressed they were going to implement the measure.
- After an express meeting of the Council of the National Health System, the Minister of Health announced a smoking ban in outdoor public places if a 2 meter distance is not possible;
- The significant impact of COVID-19 and new outbreaks in several regions of the country after the 100-day lockdown (between March 15 and June 21) partly explain this measure aimed at curbing the resurgent disease;
Previous campaigns from both non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and scientific societies, together with a favourable anti-smoking social climate, also triggered its adoption. In May, the Spanish Government made the use of face masks compulsory in streets and other outdoor spaces, and in all public indoor places where physical distancing of at least 1.
5 meters is not possible. This requirement expanded the requirement to wear masks for all transport and workplaces, which had already been passed as part of the lockdown. Early in June 2020, the NGO “Nofumadores.
org” launched the campaign ” Smoke-free terraces, right now !” through the platform change. org which has collected almost 89,000 signatures to date. At the same time, the working group on tobacco control of the Spanish Society of Epidemiology wrote a fact sheet and launched a press release pointing out the higher risk of SARS-Cov-2 transmission due to smoking in outdoor public places, mainly because of the emission of droplets and their diffusion with smoke or other aerosols (in addition to the hand-mouth movements and manipulation of face masks, and the risk of relaxing of distancing).
Following this policy brief recommendation, and statements from other scientific societies and professional associations (national committee on smoking prevention, society of public health, society of respiratory medicine, and the federation of physicians’ colleges) in early July the Ministry of Health recommended avoiding tobacco consumption in community and social settings.
On July 30, the NGO “Nofumadores. org”, with 20 scientific societies, consumers organizations and health professional associations, including the European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention and ASH United States, sent a manifesto to the Minister of Health requesting the urgent prohibition of smoking on terraces of hospitality premises, and all outdoor public places.
- These requests have been widely covered by the media and social networks;
- Whilst public health and tobacco control stakeholders welcome this step forward, a real and permanent ban of smoking in terraces and outdoor spaces has not been passed;
The agreement of the Council of the National Health System on tobacco or other tobacco or similar products use states that smoking in the streets or in outdoor spaces is forbidden when a minimum 2 meter distance could not be achieved. Hence, smokers are allowed to remove their face mask while smoking in outdoor places whereas non-smoking people have to wear it, since the use of masks is mandatory in public places.
- The Spanish regulation of smoking in outdoor spaces is consistent with the WHO statement on tobacco use and COVID-19 , the risk for inhalation exposure to coronaviruses in microscopic respiratory droplets that could likely be enhanced by smoke and aerosols exhaled by smokers or users of other electronic devices, and that outdoor smoking bans have good acceptance and support by the population;
Governments in other jurisdictions should take note of the Spanish experience to contribute to curbing the COVID-19 epidemic, prevent new outbreaks and potential new waves. Esteve Fernández, Cristina Martínez are with the WHO Collaborating Center for Tobacco Control, Catalan Institute of Oncology; Tobacco Control Research Unit, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute; School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona; CIBER Respiratory Diseases. Smoke-free signage at a cafe in Tarragona, Spain. Photo credit: Inés Raigón (Visited 17,390 times, 9 visits today).
What are the new beach rules in Spain?
Travel insurance ‘a concern’ during airline strikes says Calder – This article contains affiliate links, we may receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you.
This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Beaches across Spain are governed by individual regions so areas often have their own specific rules.
From this Friday (July 8), tourists can no longer smoke cigarettes on the beach in Barcelona. A smoking ban is already in place in other areas of Spain such as Majorca and fines for lighting up are around £25. The ban has been introduced to combat litter as cigarette butts are unsightly and can damage the natural environment. READ MORE: Travellers face ‘absolute carnage’ at Manchester Airport 
Urinating in the sea, smoking and barbecuing are all subject to bans on some beaches (Image: Getty) Washing with soap and shampoo at the beach is illegal across Spain due to the damage the products can cause. Although most Spanish beaches will have public showers for beachgoers, using products is forbidden. In some areas, including Malaga and Benidorm, washing with soap in the sea is also banned and punishable by a fine. The fine for using products in the beach showers is around £642, according to Health Plan Spain.
DON’T MISS A new unusual law introduced in Vigo in Galicia will see holidaymakers fined for urinating in the sea. The strange new rule is designed to clean up Vigo’s beaches and anyone caught will be fined 750 euros (£642).
It is not yet known how the city plans to catch perpetrators or if other Spanish cities will choose to introduce the fine. Barbecuing is also against the rules at some Spanish beaches with police approval required for a smoky feast. READ MORE: FCDO travel warning issued for popular holiday destination 
Showering with soap or other products at the beach is forbidden (Image: Getty) In Granada, beachgoers can be fined £2,500 for lighting a barbecue or any kind of fire on the beach. Barbecues can start fires and can be extremely dangerous for the guests and other beachgoers. Recently, a child was injured in the UK after stepping on a barbecue which had been buried under the sand. British tourists will also need to stick to strict beach curfews in some holiday destinations this year.
- In Benidorm, tourists are not allowed to access the beach between 11pm and 7am or drink alcohol there;
- This rule is designed to prevent accidents and to keep drunken tourists away from the sea;
- In some areas tourists are not allowed to walk around shirtless away from the beach in Spain;
Tourists should make sure to bring a cover up so they aren’t breaking any laws after leaving the beach. Some restaurants in Majorca have also banned tourists from wearing football shirts.
Can you smoke Mallorca 2022?
Smoking ban still in effect – One of the few restrictions that remain in Mallorca is regarding the consumption of tobacco. Smoking is prohibited on the terraces of establishments for public use, as well as on public roads or in open-air spaces for public use when maintaining a minimum distance of two meters from other people cannot be ensured.
Can you smoke in public in Majorca?
Smoking banned in all public spaces in the Balearic Islands.
Where can you smoke in Majorca?
Smoking ban relaxed in Mallorca But the ban on smoking on the terraces of hotels, restaurants and bars will stay in place and smokers are not allowed to light up while they’re walking in the street.
Is smoking allowed in Palma de Mallorca?
Home » Airport Info » Airport Services & Facilities » Smoking at Palma airport The Spanish legislation on smoking is strict. Smoking is prohibited in all enclosed public places, Palma Airport included. You are not allowed to smoke anywhere inside the airport terminal or in any of the four modules, be it in the public area or the security zone.
There are, however, several outside spaces at the airport where smoking is permitted. Please note that, due to the health crisis, the rules around smoking are currently stricter than usual. Smoking in a public outdoor space in Mallorca is only allowed if it is possible to keep a minimum distance of 2 metres to other people around you.
While smoking, you are required to stay in one spot – smoking while walking is not permitted.