Spain travel warning: Popular holiday destination to introduce new ban at swimming pools, terraces and outside nightclubs
Spain is introducing a new ban at swimming pools, terraces and outside nightclubs.
The new Anti-Smoking Law being prepared by the Spanish government will not allow smoking in work vehicles, educational centres, including outdoor spaces such as school playgrounds and university campuses, sports facilities, public swimming pools, bus shelters and the exteriors of nightclubs. All of these locations will be smoke-free, according to the Minister of Health, Mónica García, on Cadena SER radio.
The Majorca Daily Bulletin reports that the law is ‘finalised’, according to the minister. She said: “It will ban smoking on terraces because it is a measure that is supported by scientific evidence and by a large majority of the public, including many smokers”.
It comes as 50 beaches across the Balearics have joined the campaign, becoming smoke-free. The beaches of Muro near Alcudia in north east Mallorca and Port de Sant Miquel (Sant Joan de Labritja Ibiza) have recently become smoke-free too.
The aim is to prevent smoking in the marked areas, promote healthy habits and raise awareness among the population about the importance of not leaving waste in natural areas. The Regional Ministry has stressed that tobacco consumption is currently one of the main causes of avoidable illness and death worldwide.
The campaign also focuses on tobacco waste, which contains more than 7,000 toxic chemical substances that poison the environment. In addition to traditional smoking, a recent rule change has seen vaping banned in several locations.
Ten beaches in Barcelona and 28 in the Balearic Islands have banned the use of vapes. Elsewhere in Spain, 53 beaches in Andalucia, 61 beaches on the Canary Islands and 18 beaches in the Costa del Sol have all been declared smoke-free. In Costa Blanca, one in four beaches has banned smoking.