Urgent Majorca holiday warning over major changes to beaches this summer – and it could hit you in the pocket
HOLIDAYMAKERS heading to Spain this summer could end up forking out for hefty fines if they don’t comply with new beach rules.
People jetting off to Majorca have been warned they may have to cough up cash if they are caught smoking on the sand.
The Balearic Islands have banned tourists from lighting up on 28 beaches ahead of the busiest months of the year.
“Smoke-free zones” have been rolled out in Majorca, Ibiza and Menorca to improve people’s health and eliminate discarded cigarette butts.
Although the campaign has instructed people not to smoke, there isn’t an outright veto across the entirety of Majorca or any harsh punishments.
Three beaches – Santa Ponsa, La Romana (Paguera) and Carregador (Palmanova) – threaten fines of up to £1,700 for anyone caught.
But the Spanish government wants to go another step further and has drafted a decree that would allow rule-breakers across the region to be fined by local authorities, according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin.
If it goes through, it would give town halls the power to wield their power on the coastline and hand out cash penalties to smokers.
The bill would target tobacco litter and bolster pre-existing Spanish legislation on waste and the EU directive on single-use plastics.
The puffing ban makes the cut for this as plastic is a main component of cigarette filters, which are made from cellulose acetate.
When they are discarded, the leftover chemicals such as nicotine are absorbed by the surrounding environment.
Officials have grown tired of seeing cigarette butts littered across bustling beaches, prompting them to try and rush the decree through.
The draft is currently being considered by regional authorities, but bigwigs in the Balearics are keen to speed up the process.
They are hoping to bring the deadline forward so that fines can be doled out when thousands of holidaymakers descend on beaches over the summer.
Sebastià Sansó, the acting director-general for waste and environmental education, explained the bill has also called for a deposit and return system for cig butts to be introduced.
He suggested smokers would pay for a “sustainable container” when they buy cigarettes to stash their fags in once they are finished.
Sansó said: “Although there are litter bins, with or without ashtrays, the fact is that there are cigarette ends everywhere, so we believe that specific containers will not be enough.
“The recycling of cigarette ends is complicated, but it is to be hoped that research can find a way to use this waste in the future.”
He believes transferring power to town halls – who are responsible for cleaning up their own beaches – to prohibit smoking on the sand would be a “very important” step.
Sansó added: “With the decree, town halls would be able to prohibit smoking on beaches and sanction offenders.
“This measure would be totally logical, given that town halls are responsible for cleaning the beaches.
“They therefore must have sufficient authority and power to set waste prevention measures.”
He also noted that the Balearics are hoping they will be able to extend the decree to apply in parks and other nature spots.