Sant Joan de Labritja approves the ban on smoking on its beaches

The Sant Joan de Labritja City Council has definitively approved the Regulatory Ordinance on the prohibition of smoking at the smoke-free beaches of the municipality, which declares the beaches of Cala de Sant Vicent and Port de Sant Miquel smoke-free. The decision, adopted by the Plenary in an ordinary session on July 30, 2026, was published in the Official Gazette of the Balearic Islands (no. 104, of August 20, 2026), under file no. 1483/2025.

The regulation, signed by Mayor María Tania Marí Marí, will enter into force the day after its publication in the official gazette. With this measure, the Ibiza municipality joins the trend of converting natural spaces into smoke-free environments, with the aim of protecting public health and reducing beach pollution.

A solid legal and health framework

The ordinance is based on Law 7/2022, of April 8, on waste and contaminated soils for a circular economy, which in article 18.1.l) allows city councils to regulate smoking limitations on beaches. For the exercise of sanctioning powers, the council relies on Title XI (articles 139 to 141) of Law 7/1985, of April 2, Regulating the Bases of the Local Regime, and article 29 of Law 40/2015, of October 1, on the legal regime of the public sector.

The preamble recalls that cigarette filters are not biodegradable and are one of the main sources of beach pollution. According to data from the Environmental Quality and Education Service of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment, 41,777 butts were collected on the beaches of the Balearic Islands between February and April 2023, and 39,329 between October and December 2024. The WHO warns that third-hand smoke and aerosols from electronic cigarettes are dangerous to health, especially for children and vulnerable people.

What is prohibited and how it is controlled

The prohibition applies to the entire beach area, including access areas, bather resting areas, and common services such as showers, toilets, and changing rooms, as well as the sea areas used by bathers. Smoking is considered any act involving inhaling, exhaling, or bringing tobacco products into contact with fire, as well as the use of nicotine delivery devices, electronic cigarettes, or any vapor or aerosol inhalation device.

• Minor offense: infringing the smoking ban in the beach area, with a fine of 300 euros.
• Serious offense: repetition of the infringing behavior during the same day, with a fine of 1,000 euros.
• Very serious offense: commission of two serious offenses within a twelve-month period, with a fine of 3,000 euros.

Sanctions may be reduced by 40% if they are made effective at the time of imposition, or by 30% if they are paid within ten business days following the notification of the complaint. The revenues obtained will be allocated to improving actions regarding drug addiction and addictive behaviors in the municipality.

Protection of minors and entry into force

When the offenders are minors, pecuniary sanctions may be replaced by corrective measures, such as attending training sessions or performing community service, with the prior consent of the person concerned. Parents, mothers, tutors, or guardians are subsidiarily civilly liable for the sanctions and any possible damages caused by the minors under their care.

The ordinance also provides for the signage of beaches with visible posters at the entrances and the promotion of educational and awareness actions. Very serious infractions expire after three years, serious ones after two years, and minor ones after six months.

Impact for readers

With this regulation, bathers at Cala de Sant Vicent and Port de Sant Miquel will have to stop smoking on the sand and in the water, a measure that affects both residents and the island’s tourism sector, which will have to adapt to the new regulation. The prohibition, which enters into force the day after its publication in the official bulletin, makes Sant Joan de Labritja a pioneering municipality in Ibiza in the fight against smoking in natural spaces.

Source: Official Bulletin of the Balearic Islands, no. 104, August 20, 2026, Section I, pp. 45198-45202 (official reference: no. 8396, file 1483/2025).