Four beaches within the Principality have become no-smoking areas for the entire duration of the summer season, a decision published with immediate effect on May 31, as part of ‘World No Tobacco Day’ this year.
The artificial ‘Solarium beach’ attached to the Digue, the little ‘Plage des Pêcheurs’ at the foot of Fort Antoine, the beach of the Meridian Beach Plaza and the most frequented of all, the Larvotto beach.
Despite the obvious threat they pose to public health, cigarettes are terrible for the environment when not properly disposed off, with filters taking up to a decade to decompose into harmful micro-plastics. It is in this vein that the Monegasque government has banned smoking on beaches in the busiest period of the year, having already launched a campaign to collect cigarette butts ahead of the summer.
Only one exception remains for smokers on beaches this summer, as privatised areas such as bars and restaurants may allow customers to smoke, as the communication goes on to explain; “in the areas of the beach subject to a concession or authorisation or agreement for private occupation, to the parts of these areas allocated to a restaurant or bar activity.”
Featured image by Jack Brodie for NEWS.MC, Larvotto beach
