British holidaymakers visiting Spain have been warned about new regulations implemented to crack down on smoking.
Some 10 additional beaches have imposed a ban on the habit as the country aims to make more areas smoke-free by 2025.
The ban is part of a broader suite of regulations aiming to mitigate pollution, enhance public health and preserve the pristine locations of local spaces.
The new rules ban tourists and locals from smoking along shorelines in designated smoke-free areas. The ban has also been implemented on the terraces of public restaurants.
Spanish authorities and cracking down on smoking
GETTYSmoking has already been outlawed on several beaches across the nation, but authorities are pushing to see additional tourist spots ban the habit in the coming months.
Beaches including Muro, near Alcudia in Northeastern Mallorca and Port de San Miquel in Ibiza, are among the latest spots to adopt the policy, following Barcelona’s lead.
More than 50 beaches in the Balearic region have also introduced the ban following a successful trial last year.
Holiday hotspots including Mallorca, Minorca, and Ibiza are also among the regions driving efforts to crack down on smoking.
Beaches in the three destinations have started putting up signs prohibiting tourists from lighting up in public.
The measures were detailed in a document drawn up by the Spanish Medical Association, and approved by its General Assembly.
It provided 20 anti-smoking measures aimed at tackling unhealthy habits across the country. Several health organisations have approved it so far.
As part of their comprehensive plan to prevent and control smoking, authorities have stressed that in any healthcare centre with more than 10 doctors, one person should be responsible for combatting the habit.
Healthcare centres with more than 30 healthcare workers should have a specialised smoking unit, under the latest proposals.
Not only will a ban assist in protecting the environment, but it also aims to shield non-smokers from the perils of second-hand smoke.
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Beaches across Spain have started implementing a ban on smoking
PA
The proposals also call for a ban on flavoured tobacco and vaping products and for a hike in tobacco prices, to help make cigarettes less accessible to younger people.
In addition to these new smoking prevention measures, Britons may see additional changes come into effect in Spain soon.
Benidorm Seriously, a travel advice service for tourists, recently warned visitors about a rule that bans them from swimming in the sea at certain hours.
Anyone who enters a beach between the hours of midnight and 7am can incur a fine between €750 (£641) and €1,200 (£1,026), the site warned.
