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Marseille banned smoking on the beaches during the summer season
Aside from being very dangerous for the health, tobacco also has dramatic consequences for the environment. A single cigarette butt can pollute up to 500 liters of water and it contains a hundred harmful or even carcinogenic substances, which contaminate water, air and soil.That is why cigarette butts are the main source of ocean pollution.
After plastic bottles. cigarette butts are the most common waste on European beaches. It is estimated that between 20,000 to 25,000 tonnes are thrown away in France every year.
In order to preserve the environment and underwater life, the City of Marseille has decided to ban smoking from all its beaches during the summer season (from June to September).
Here are some facts: the cigarette filter contains plastics, meaning a butt can take more than ten years to degrade. Also, some of the chemicals found in the filter contains are toxic to ecosystems and in less than four days, a single cigarette end can destroy up to half wildlife present in one liter of water.
Besides environment protection, the smoking ban on beaches also wants to create a healthy environment for children and to free them from passive smoking. Many studies show that regulations of smoking in public places can also encourage smokers to quit.
Photo credit: Hugo Vidal/Unsplash
