The Blue Flag has a positive effect on healthy living and well-being. The programme supports initiatives for sustainable healthy community development and welfare.
The sites engaged in Blue Flag support a healthy lifestyle by raising people´s awareness through safety education activities.
Blue Flag environmental quality standards help creating clean and healthy environments in order to minimize illnesses, infections or contagious diseases.
The beach activities promote active lifestyles and social wellbeing.
The Blue Flag safety standards mitigate possible accidents on the beach.
Spain
Blue Flag as an ecosystem service provides numerous health and recreational benefits to humans. For instance, lifesavers on Blue Flag beaches in Spain play an important role in the prevention of accidents and promote healthy habits at the beach, related to sun bathing, swimming and biking. Additionally, workshops to teach kids aged 3 to 12 and adults anti-drowning and safety procedures have been organised on some Blue Flag beaches in Spain. In 2018, 17.405 adults and 13,970 kids have participated and learnt about important lifesaving techniques.
ENGLAND
At Brighton Beach, Brighton NHS mental health services have a wild swimming group for people with depression and mental health problems. Research suggests that cold water immersion can help with these illnesses and reduce medication.
In Scarborough Blue Flag beaches health walks for elderly people who might feel lonely are organised.
Additionally, the ‘3 p's pooh, pee, paper’ promoted by the Blue Flag National Operator in England, Keep Britain Tidy, is aimed at reducing sanitary waste in the sea, thus helping the achievement of this goal.
