Should smoking be banned on beaches?

Maciej Gorski thinks there should be designated smoking areas

A survey by campaign group Action on Smoking and Health shows public support for smoke-free beaches. People on Cleethorpes beach had mixed opinions.

Maciej Gorski puffs on a cigarette.

Aside from his own house, it's one of the few places he can legally enjoy a smoke.

But a YouGov survey suggest significant support in Yorkshire and the Humber for smoke-free beaches. A total of 1,125 people were surveyed, of which 61% would back a ban.

As waves lap the golden sands on the Lincolnshire beach, Maciej offers his view.

He says: "There's a time and place to do it and if you can't do it on a beach it should be a designated area somewhere.

"I remember when you could smoke in pubs, now you can't do it and people got used to it. It's just another place you can't do it."

However, despite being a smoker himself, Steve Granger says he agrees with the ban.

"Yes, we are smoking now but I'll make sure it goes into an ashtray or a bin rather than just throw it away on a beach," he says.

"Especially when there are children about. If people just throw their cigarette still lit on the beach, nobody knows who can step in it."

Jayne Fitzpatrick thinks cigarettes should be banned, but not vapes

Although Jayne Fitzpatrick supports the smoking ban, she believes vaping should still be allowed.

"I don't think you should smoke cigarettes because I think it's a lot of smell and it's got the hot end and you could burn the children," she says.

"But I don't think they [vapes] should be banned because they can't harm any children or anybody walking by but the cigarettes would if they put them out on the floor and they didn't go out."

While there is currently no ban on smoking on beaches in Lincolnshire, two beaches in East Sussex have already become voluntary smoke-free spaces.

Simon Clark, director of pro-smoking group Forest, thinks the ban is "absolutely ridiculous".

He says: "Of course smokers should be considerate to people in their immediate vicinity but there is absolutely no justification for a ban on smoking on beaches because there is no health risk to anybody apart from the smoker themselves."

Forest encourages smokers to use pocket ashtrays and for local authorities to provide more cigarette bins in public spaces.

'Eager for action'

According to the Office for National Statistics, six million adults smoke, but the number is decreasing.

In 2007, England banned smoking in all enclosed public areas, including pubs and restaurants.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is currently going through Parliament and plans to extend the indoor smoking ban to outdoor areas like schools, children's playgrounds and hospitals.

Starting 1 July, France will ban smoking in all outdoor areas commonly used by children, including beaches, parks, school areas, bus stops and sports venues.

In March 2024, Benllech and Trearddur Bay became the first smoke-free beaches in Wales with others also introducing a voluntary smoking ban.

Scott Crosby, associate director for the Humber and North Yorkshire Centre for Excellence in Tobacco Control, says: "We need bold, continued action to prevent uptake, help smokers quit and reduce harm.

"The survey clearly shows the public is not only on board – they're eager for more action to make it happen."

Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.