Cristina Hodgson
ESTEPONA has introduced an exciting addition to its beach offerings – a smoke-free beach.
The designated smoke-free area can be found on La Rada beach, spanning approximately 1,000 square metres, adjacent to recreational play areas and the water park installed in the area every summer and will provide citizens with a seafront space that promotes healthy habits, as stated by the Councillor for Beaches, Susana Aragon, last Wednesday, July 26.
La Rada beach is a bustling coastal spot, attracting a large number of children and outdoor sports enthusiasts. By designating this popular area as smoke-free, the municipality aims to create a family-friendly and active environment where visitors can engage in outdoor activities without the inconvenience of tobacco smoke.
The councillor highlighted that the initiative aims to promote healthy lifestyles and enhance the well-being of beachgoers. In this context, she emphasized that smoking is the leading preventable cause of disease, disability, and premature death worldwide, causing over 1.2 million deaths in Europe alone each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) data.
Furthermore, the smoke-free zone on La Rada beach seeks to raise awareness about the importance of preventing tobacco residues from remaining on the coastline, especially given that each cigarette butt left on the sand or shore can contaminate up to 50 liters of water.
Additionally, the chemical composition of cigarettes sees them take up to 10 years to degrade, leading to damage to both marine ecosystems and the species inhabiting them.
The creation of a smoke-free beach also contributes to enhancing the image of Estepona’s coastline, as more and more people seek public smoke-free spaces.
This new smoke-free beach is part of the Andalucian Network of Smoke-Free Health Services and Spaces project, which aims to raise awareness about the importance of quitting smoking and the available healthcare resources to support individuals in breaking this habit.
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