Stub it out! Britain’s first smoke- free beach opens
BRITAIN’S first smoke- free beach is opening today in an attempt to stop children taking up cigarettes.
Little Haven beach in Pembrokeshire, west Wales, is the first seaside resort to trial no- smoking signs on the sand.
Council chiefs hope the pilot ban, which is voluntary with no penalty for lighting up, will mean children are less likely to see people smoking.
It is set to last for a year and will extend to e- cigarettes.
“We want to do as much as we can to protect our children from smoking and to promote a health and well- being environment for all,” explained Pembrokeshire county councillor Huw George.
“Anyone breaching it may be approached and politely requested not to smoke.”
Studies have shown that two- thirds of smokers start before the age of 18.
Mr George added: “It is vital to de- normalise smoking, to reduce the rates of young people taking it up and to reduce their exposure to smoke in areas where they might gather.”
The initiative, to coincide with national No Smoking Day, was launched with the help of 35 primary schoolchildren, the same number said to start smoking each day in Wales.
A survey by YouGov in 2015 found the majority of Welsh adults believe smoking should be banned in communal areas such as parks and beaches.
Dr Ruth Hussey, chief medical officer for Wales, said: “Pembrokeshire Council should be commended for its work towards a smoke- free Wales.”
However Simon Clark, director of pro- smoking group FOREST, said: “There is no evidence of a health risk from smoking in the open air.”