The campaign run by the Balearic government's directorates for public health and waste goes under the title of 'Smoke-free beaches, healthy beaches'. As well as a public health measure, the campaign aims to tackle the environmental harm caused by cigarette ends. Tobacco waste is said to contain 7,000 toxic chemicals that poison the environment. Cigarette ends are the most common form of marine litter.
Town halls can participate in the programme on a voluntary basis. The beaches that are covered will now have four-metre banners identifying them as smoke-free and QR codes that link to information about the scheme. There are no fines for smoking on these beaches; it's all about appealing to public responsibility and about raising awareness. Elsewhere in Spain, fines have been imposed.
The beaches in Mallorca are: Alcudia (Sant Joan beach); Arta (Sa Platgeta); Calvia (Es Carregador, Palmanova; La Romana, Paguera; Santa Ponsa beach); Deya (Cala Deya); Manacor (Cala Anguilà); Palma (Cala Estància; Es Molinar); Pollensa (Albercutx, Puerto Pollensa; Cala Barques and Cala Molins in Cala Sant Vicenç; Formentor); Sant Llorenç (Cala Sa Nau); Santanyi (Caló des Moro).
Sant Josep de Sa Talaia in Ibiza has the most smoke-free beaches - five in all.
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Indeed if voluntary… fat chance of getting rid of the filthy habit of leaving cigarette butts in the sand. I’m sooooo fed up anyway with the lack of common sense among many people on the island when it come to littering. Decades behind other European countries.
Almost overwhelmingly ignored by the mostly still addicted to fags Spanish. If it’s voluntary and without fines then there’s little chance of it taking hold.