New regulation will ban smoking on Tenerife’s beaches

The draft of the new ordinance, which is being prepared by the City Council of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, includes a specific section in which it prohibits smoking on beaches. In the draft it is stated that, as in the rest of public spaces, users of the beaches and bathing areas are prohibited from depositing any type of waste directly on the sand or rocks, and must make use of the litter bins provided.

It also says that, "in order to avoid the presence of cigarette butts in the sand, and the subsequent potential contamination of the coast, smoking is prohibited on the beaches and bathing areas of the municipalities, except in areas specially authorized by the City Council".

Santa Cruz is leading the way with this ordinance, but it is expected that other areas and other islands will follow and implement the same legislation in due course. Smoking was banned on beaches during the pandemic, and the Tobacco Reform and Smoking Laws want to prevent it long term, but this will make it more specific in certain locations.

The rule also establishes that the owners of beach bars, kiosks, and restaurants on beach promenades, or those located inside them, must take all action necessary to avoid the production of scattered rubbish, by having the correct bins available for its collection and clean up during their opening hours, and single-use plastics are to be banned from these establishments, although there is no date on that as yet.