Galicia expands Spain’s largest smoke-free beach network to 249 sites

Galicia now has Spain’s largest network of smoke-free beaches, with 249 beaches and ports across 85 municipalities. The northwestern Spanish region accounts for one in every four tobacco-free beaches in the country.

The network has grown substantially since 2016, when 19 municipalities joined the initiative. It now reaches beyond the coast: 39 participating sites are river beaches, bringing smoke-free recreation areas to inland communities, including those in the landlocked province of Ourense. Forty-nine municipalities have received the network’s gold designation after declaring all their beaches smoke-free.

The program is intended to protect non-smokers, reduce environmental harm and make tobacco and vaping less socially routine, particularly around children. Spain’s Ministry of Health has recognized it as a good practice within the national health system.

Galicia’s health department is also working with the regional federation of municipalities and provinces on a common legal framework that would help local councils regulate penalties. The rules are still being developed, with existing approaches in Barcelona and San Sebastián serving as references. The effort follows Galicia’s approval of a law protecting minors’ health and preventing addictive behavior, which includes a ban on selling electronic cigarettes and vaping products to minors.