Smokefree Beaches - Action on Smoking and Health

Cigarette butts are the number one most littered items in the world, posing a major threat to the marine environment.

Every year 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are discarded globally, with each one taking up to 12 years to degrade.

ASH Wales believes preventing smoking on Wales’ beaches will play a major role in helping to reduce cigarette litter, protect wildlife and prevent young children from starting smoking.

Our beautiful beaches

Wales’ beautiful coastline boasts the most beaches with Blue Flag status in the UK.

Since our Smokefree Beaches campaign was launched, six of Wales beaches’ have introduced voluntary smoking bans:

With the support of the Welsh Government, we are continuing to work with local authorities to make more beaches across the country smoke free.

Why smokefree beaches?

Litter and pollution

4.5 trillion cigarette butts are dropped across the world each year. They are made with a form of plastic called cellulose acetate which takes up to 12 years to biodegrade.

Danger to animals

Cigarette butts are toxic and filled with deposits of tars and chemicals, which leach out into the sea and poison marine wildlife. Birds and small animals swallow butts, resulting in poisoning, malnutrition and even death.

Young people

Children and young people have the right to play and meet their friends in a clean and healthy environment. Smoking at the beach creates the impression that it is a harmless activity but in reality it kills more than 5,000 people a year in Wales.

Second-hand smoke

Just as toxic outdoors as it is indoors and depends on wind speed, direction and the number and proximity of smokers. 80% of cigarette smoke is invisible and contains over 4000 chemicals, 69 of which are cancer-causing.

Why is this a Welsh Issue?

In 2021, data collected by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) revealed that Welsh beaches held the highest amount of cigarette litter in Great Britain. Wales had more than double that of England.

Public Support

Opinion polls show that support for smoke free spaces in Wales is strong. In our 2023 YouGov survey, 59% supported a smoking ban on beaches. When surveying locally in Anglesey 87% supported the beaches becoming smoke free spaces.

Our campaign has been supported by environmental groups including the organisations Surfers Against Sewage, and Marine Conservation Society.

In many other parts of the world smoking bans on beaches have been successfully implemented and with strong public support, including in Mexico, Japan, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Australia, and Canada.

ASH Wales has strong links with public health representatives in other countries and works with them to design campaigns for smoke free beaches.

Benllech and Trearddur Bay Launch

On Tuesday 19^th March 2024, ASH Wales celebrated the new Smokefree status of Benllech and Trearddur Bay, the first beaches in North Wales to introduce the voluntary initiative.

ASH Wales organised a morning of activities for two local schools to enjoy and learn, which included a litter pick, water safety demonstration and education, and using natural beach materials to capture birds-eye footage and photos.

There was also amazing national news coverage from ITV and BBC, showcasing the children’s opinions on the change.

Port Eynon Launch

On Wednesday 27th April 2022, ASH Wales celebrated Port Eynon joining the Smoke-free Beaches campaign. To mark the launch, ASH Wales conducted a beach clean with a local school, and organised various activities throughout the day. Activities included:

Talking to local children about the harms cigarette waste ensues on the coastline.
Unveiling the campaign’s new branding and information signs.
Asking local children to create a giant smoke-free sign out of driftwood and pebbles.
Asking local children to create beach artworks to voice why we must take care of marine life and the environment from the harms of cigarette litter.

Our full media report of the launch is available to download below.

Download: Port Eynon Launch Media Report

The Future

We believe that Wales can lead the way in the UK on smokefree spaces. With the support and cooperation of local councils we will make a huge difference to the health of young people and the standard of our beaches.

By creating smoke free spaces, Wales has a better chance of reaching the Welsh Government’s goal of a Smoke Free Wales by 2030.

Get Involved

Run a beach cleanup

Organising a beach clean up is the best way to determine the extent of the problem on your local beach. We can offer support to help get our beaches and coastline looking beautiful and ready for everyone to enjoy during the busy summer months.

Who can help me to quit smoking?

Tailored support

Help Me Quit is a new, free NHS service in Wales. They will help you to pick the best way to quit, whether that’s telephone support, one-to-one or group meetings or the local pharmacy. They can also recommend which nicotine replacements, such as patches or gum, are best for you.

Visit: helpmequit.wales

Phone: 0800 085 2219 – Text: HMQ to 80818