Benidorm adds its accessible beaches and the children's areas of El Moralet to the AECC's network of 'smoke-free spaces'

The three accessible beach points in Benidorm and the children's play areas in the El Moralet urban park will be part of the 'smoke-free spaces' campaign promoted by the Spanish Association Against Cancer. Benidorm City Council has thus joined an initiative promoted by the AECC to contribute to this organization in the fight against smoking, which is estimated to cause around 60,000 deaths in our country every year, according to data managed by the Ministry of Health. "This collaboration begins today, with the classification of these strategic places as 'smoke-free spaces', but we intend that over time it will expand to cover other spaces and other actions," announced the mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez. 

The first mayor and the president of the Provincial Board of Alicante of the AECC, Fermín Crespo, have signed this morning a collaboration agreement between both entities to develop different actions in this direction. The councillors of Beaches and Health, Mónica Gómez and Ana Pellicer, as well as representatives of the local board of the Association Against Cancer, were also present at this signing. 

The mayor of Beaches, Mónica Gómez, has indicated that the specific points of the sandy areas that will be classified as 'smoke-free spaces' are the area of accessible beaches of Levante – located at the height of Murcia Street – and those of Elche Park and Mont Benidorm avenue, both on Poniente beach. Gómez explained that "although our general recommendation is that users avoid smoking anywhere on our beaches, due to the harmful effects on health and also on the environment, these three points have been established with a much more specific recommendation because, in addition, they are areas with special conditions and that provide an important social and health service.” 

For her part, Ana Pellicer has indicated that this agreement has also included the children's play areas of El Moralet because they are “spaces aimed at the little ones, where we consider that healthy habits that conflict with consumption must also be promoted. tobacco". And, likewise, she has delved into the idea of doing it "from education and awareness, not from prohibition." 

From now on, the AECC, with municipal support, will provide the resources and tools intended to signal that these facilities are “smoke-free spaces” and will also carry out activities related to training, awareness-raising and dissemination activities, as well as smoking prevention, or smoking cessation services, among others.