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Starting February 1st, the Rotterdam zoo will be completely smoke-free. On this date, the last designated smoking areas will be permanently removed from the zoo. Both visitors and staff will no longer be allowed to smoke within the zoo's gates.

As the green lungs of the city and one of the most popular attractions for families with children in the Netherlands, the decision was not difficult. When Blijdorp learned that the government was tightening smoking regulations in amusement parks, it decided to gradually ban cigarettes, vapes, and e-cigarettes. The complete ban will take effect on February 1st, a timely decision given the growing support for smoking bans in places frequented by children, such as amusement parks, beaches, and zoos.

A Healthier Environment
Beyond the health aspect, smoking no longer aligns with the new, even more sustainable course that the Rotterdam zoo embarked on as of November 1st. Each year, hundreds of millions of cigarette filters end up on the streets in the Netherlands, a large portion of which ends up in nature. Filters are mostly made of cellulose acetate, a plastic that breaks down into numerous microplastics. Discarded cigarette filters are one of the largest forms of plastic pollution worldwide. With the smoking ban, Diergaarde Blijdorp aims to help mitigate this immense problem and contribute to building a Smoke-Free Generation.

Positive Response from the Municipality
The Municipality of Rotterdam also responded positively to Diergaarde Blijdorp's decision. Councilor Faouzi Achbar, who fights daily for a healthy city, is very pleased that a major Rotterdam attraction is becoming completely smoke-free: "Diergaarde Blijdorp's decision significantly contributes to normalizing non-smoking. It is a great step towards a smoke-free city and a smoke-free generation."

Both the zoo and the municipality hope the public will widely embrace the new policy, making the green lungs of the city even greener.