The Sant Antoni Town Hall has declared the Caló des Moro beach ‘smoke-free’, the first in the municipality where smoking will not be allowed, with the aim of “making citizens aware of the need to avoid littering and smoke on the beaches”, explained the councillor for the environment, Pepita Torres. She was accompanied by José Porras, Sant Antoni’s beach coordinator; Pepita Cardona, Environment technician, and Edu Mariscal, head of lifeguard and rescue. All of them also presented the ‘Platges sense fum’ campaign.
“We have collected quite a few cigarette butts this past week and we are going to continue all summer. In addition, there are people who, when they see us, join us and help us. We are having a very good reception from the users”, said Porras, who added that they hope “that the amount will decrease and that we have done our bit from the City Council so that people do not smoke so much”.
For her part, Pepita Torres pointed out where the importance of carrying out this task comes from: “It is a campaign that comes from the direction of Health and Environment of the Balearic Government and aims to promote the tobacco-free beacheswe, too, have decided to join the initiative.
Only beach declared smoke-free in the municipality
The councilor explained that for the moment Caló des Moro will be the only ‘smoke-free’ beach in the municipality, since they first want to analyze how the campaign is developing and the effects of this first smoking ban. If the result is positive, he said, others will be added to the campaign. He also pointed out that this initiative is already attracting the attention of visitors.
At the end of the presentation some curious people approached the information table that the municipal team had set up to inquire about the initiative. “I think it is necessary. Anyone who wants to smoke should do so away from others and, above all, pick up the cigarette butts,” stated Anibal García, a man who was walking through the area and raised some doubts with the organizers. “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 trash” on the beach, explained Patricia Espinosa. “I think they should put more emphasis on cleanliness, especially with young people, because it is their future and more emphasis should be placed on raising awareness of the importance of the environment,” the woman insisted.
Some feel that failure to comply with the smoking ban should be sanctionedhowever, the councilor points out that this is an awareness-raising initiative and cannot be punished for it. “It should be penalized more, as in other countries, where people are fined when they throw a cigarette butt on the ground, which is the way to get people not to do it,” said Mihaela Diaconu, a tourist who was walking along Caló des Moro.
Even a smoker, like Segundo González, considered that the ban on smoking on the beach is a good measure: “I think it’s good because I’m a smoker and people don’t have to put up with me smoking”.
Other non-smoking beaches on the island include Cala d’Hort, the first to be declared smoke-free in 2020; es Cavallet, ses Salines, es Bol Nou (Sa Caleta), Cala de Sant Vicent, Santa Eulàriases Figueretes and es Pujols (Formentera).
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