Goa, one of western India's most popular tourist destinations and a known favorite of Israeli tourists, announced it will no longer allow smoking in public places – including its beaches. A Tourism Department official said than the ban will take effect in October. "We are planning a law which will include beaches in the list of public places where smoking will be banned," Deputy Director of Tourism Department Pamela Mascarenhas said. The move is a part of the department’s tobacco control measures, under the Goa Prohibition of Smoking and Spitting Act of 1997 and the Control of Tobacco Products Act of 2003. According to Mascarenhas, Miramar Beach, on the outskirts of Panaji, will be the first where the ban will be imposed. Goa beach (Photo: AP) "We are starting with Miramar. Awareness is more important... If we start off with the most popular Calangute Beach and ban smoking there, there will be a chaos. Hence, we have chosen the relatively less crowded Miramar Beach,” she told local media. Meanwhile, Goa's Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said that authorities would take legal and punitive action against tourists smoking in public places. In an attempt to further environmental legislation, Goa MP Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco also presented a private member resolution, urging a ban on the use of plastic bags across the state. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter