Les Gets: first French ski resort to ban smoking in Europe

By a municipal decree published on December 8, smoking will be prohibited on the 68 slopes and 50 ski lifts of the Les Gets area (Haute-Savoie), until the end of the season, Monday, April 10, 2023.[1].

Smoke-free ski resorts already exist in other parts of the world, such as Japan, New Zealand and Canada. But the French resort of Les Gets will be the first in Europe to become smoke-free.

A primarily ecological approach

According to Chrystelle Felisaz, communications officer for the Les Gets ski area, this ban is part of a global approach aimed at "preserving nature" from the toxic waste generated by cigarette butts. In 2022, more than 3,000 cigarette butts were collected in the ski area and in the village during the "Clean Mountain" day. In France, between 20,000 and 25,000 tonnes of cigarette butts (the equivalent of two Eiffel Towers) are thrown into nature each year.

Cigarette butts are highly toxic waste, loaded with dangerous substances and very difficult to recycle. In addition, they are barely or not at all biodegradable and are therefore a major factor in environmental pollution of soil and water. A single cigarette butt can pollute up to 1 cubic meter of snow, thus polluting river water and groundwater when it melts.

The municipal police will carry out patrols along the tracks, and users who do not respect the ban will be liable to a fixed fine of type 2 (from €22 up to €150 in the event of a repeat offence).

The proliferation of smoke-free places to denormalize smoking

In addition to the ecological aspect, the proliferation of smoke-free spaces helps to denormalize smoking in public spaces and daily life. Smoke-free spaces are often places of leisure and relaxation, places frequented by children and adolescents.

Similar initiatives can be found in many French municipalities that are gradually setting up more and more smoke-free areas (parks, school areas, beaches, etc.). Some cities are going even further in their ambition to improve the health, well-being and quality of life of their residents by committing to the project of a " free city without tobacco » by implementing a set of measures to reduce and prevent smoking, including the development of smoke-free public spaces.

Keywords: Les Gets, Alps, Skiing, smoke-free areas, environment, cigarette butts

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