Local School Children Launch Smoke-Free Beach

• Knelston Primary School has joined a beach clean to celebrate Port Eynon becoming Smoke-free.
• Port Eynon becomes Swansea’s third beach to join the Smoke-free Beaches campaign.
• The campaign encourages beach visitors to not smoke via a voluntary no-smoking initiative.
• The initiative’s drive is to protect the local environment from the harms of cigarette waste.

 Local school children from Knelston Primary have joined a beach clean to celebrate Port Eynon joining a Smoke-free campaign. The campaign encourages visitors to not smoke on the beach via a voluntary smoke-free initiative, which seeks to reduce cigarette litter and protect the environment.

The campaign was launched by ASH Cymru, a health organisation that raises awareness around the harms of tobacco in Wales. Port Eynon is Swansea’s third beach to join the voluntary initiative, which will be sign-posted at the beach’s main entrances.

The campaign has been welcomed by local school children, who have joined ASH Cymru and Swansea Council in a beach clean. The clean has been organised to raise awareness of the environmental harms of cigarettes litter, in a bid to protect the coastline for future generations to come.

Cigarette butts remain a big problem in Wales, with the latest Marine Conservation Society survey revealing that Welsh beaches held the highest amount of cigarette butt litter in Great Britain. The survey found an average of 64.2 cigarette butts per 100 metres of Welsh beach in 2021, a stark rise from 9.5 in 2020, and 32.6 in 2019.

On a global scale 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are discarded each year, making cigarette butts one of the most littered items on earth. Cigarette butts take up to 12 years to breakdown and as they do they leach nicotine and heavy metals before turning into microplastic pollution. In addition, studies examining the toxicity of cigarette butts have found them to contain approximately 4000 harmful chemicals, which can ultimately seep into the environment. Research has shown that one cigarette butt left to soak in water for 96 hours will release enough toxins to kill half of the salt and freshwater fish that are exposed to it.

In addition to environmental benefits, research has shown that smoke-free spaces can reduce exposure to second-hand smoke, and can have a positive influence on social norms. In light of this, ASH Cymru believe that the new smoke-free initiative will create an environment that is safer and ultimately cleaner for visitors.

ASH Cymru’s CEO Suzanne Cass commended the local school’s involvement, marking how children can help shape a greener society. She said: “ We are delighted that local children recognise the importance of protecting the environment, which in turn will aid wider efforts to create a healthier and greener Wales.

‘It is ultimately our children who will reap the benefits of today’s initiative. Our efforts now can hold a big impact for their future”.

Mr Philip Jenkins, Headteacher of Knelston Primary, highlighted the importance of educating children about the harms of cigarettes. He said: “ It is important that we voice that cigarettes can not only harm our health, but can also harm our natural surroundings.

‘Our children will go on to be the next custodians of Wales, and we must educate them for this responsibility. It is up to us to ensure that our children become ethically informed citizens of not only Wales, but also the world”.

To date, Langland Bay, Caswell Bay and Little Haven in Pembrokeshire have joined the ASH Cymru Smoke-free Beach campaign. It is thought that the addition of Port Eynon, one of the Gower peninsula’s most popular sites, will encourage other beach authorities to take similar green steps.

A spokesperson from Swansea Council said: “ The Council fully supports initiatives to protect the coastline for future generations to come.

‘We hope the voluntary initiative will encourage visitors to take the small steps needed to make a big difference in protecting our local environment’’.

On a national scale, the Welsh Government has recently committed to reducing the environmental impact of smoking. The commitment was recently relayed in the new Tobacco Control Strategy for Wales, which aims to create a healthier smoke-free nation by 2030. Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Lynne Neagle, is overseeing the new strategy, and praised the roll-out of the new Smoke-free initiative. She said: “It is great to see so many young people involved in today’s beach clean, and in turn support the new initiative.

‘As I’ve highlighted in the foreword to the new Tobacco Control Strategy for Wales, we must all come together to help limit the harmful effects of smoking. Initiatives such as this bring us one step closer to becoming a healthier and more environmentally conscious nation’’.

Visit our Smokefree Beaches Campaign page for more information.

References & Notes

• The launch and beach clean was held at Port Eynon on Wednesday 27^th April 2022.
• 5 trillion discarded cigarette butts stats can be found here, here and here.
• Cigarette butts take 12 years to break-down stat found here, here, here and here.
• Cigarette butt and microplastic pollution research can be found here.
• Study examining cigarette butts effects on salt and fresh water fish found here.
• Cigarette waste toxicity to animals, aquatic life and the environment found here, here and here.
• Cigarette butt toxicity, 4000 chemical literature and stats can be found here, here and here.
• Marine Conservation Society 2021 Survey results found here and here.
• Studies showing smoke-free spaces reduce SHS and influence social norms, found here and here.