California Town Banning Smoking on Beach

AJC.com ^

[SheLion]

SOLANA BEACH, Calif. (AP)--This laid-back, funky seaside town has businesses with names such as the Naked Cafe, Belly Up Tavern and Do-It-Yourself Dog Wash, and the dress code is more Grateful Dead than boardroom.

But it's laying down the law on its 1.4 miles of beaches: No Smoking.

``It's a great idea,'' said resident Douglas Alden, 38, as he and his 2-year-old son, Clinton, had the cove at Tide Park all to themselves on a recent afternoon. ``Even in a wide-open space like this, the smoke tends to travel.''

Ban opponent Travis Stevens, a 26-year-old construction worker, doesn't see it the same way.

``If you're not blowing it in anybody's face or anything, just minding your own business, I don't think it should be a problem,'' Stevens said.

But even Stevens is upset by the cigarette butts littering the beach, the stairs leading down from the parking lot, and the bluff overlooking the surf. During a recent cleanup, cigarette butts were the top item collected, according to Mayor Tom Golich.

Now, Solana Beach is about to becomes the first California city to ban smoking on the beach, according to the American Lung Association.

The ban in the northern San Diego County town of 13,000 people was prompted by a group of high school students, who first asked the city to declare September a nonsmoking month on the beaches and in parks, then pushed for a permanent ban.

It was unanimously supported by the five-member City Council. After it takes effect on Nov. 20, first-time offenders can face a $100 fine.

Similar bans are in place at Honolulu's Hanauma Bay beach, and at two public beaches in Sharon, Mass. Some beaches in New Jersey also have smoke-free zones.

Inspired by Solana Beach, Los Angeles City Councilman Jack Weiss recently introduced a motion that would ban smoking on Los Angeles' 10 miles of beaches as well.

Weiss said he and his children participated in a beach cleanup two weeks ago.

``We spent our time on our hands and knees picking up other peoples' cigarette butts,'' he said. ``It's disgusting and inexcusable.''

Weiss' motion will be considered in the next several weeks, and he thinks it will pass.

``A decade ago when it was first proposed that smoking be banned in restaurants, they said it couldn't and shouldn't be done,'' he said. ``Look around today. You can't smoke in a restaurant and the world hasn't stopped spinning.''

But at Los Angeles' Venice Beach, David said Weiss' idea would ``be like a total violation of a person's civil rights, because we're outside, you know what I mean?''

``I don't think they'd want to enforce it, because there's too many people down here that do smoke,'' Watson said as he puffed at a table outside a cafe. ``Even the cops smoke down here.''

 

Associated Press Writer Mason Stockstill in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

[SheLion]

~sigh

[SheLion]

oh brother.............

"5" elected officials can stick it to everyone. Nice, eh?

[Just another Joe]

Once again the 'legislature' takes on godlike powers.

Nothing will be done about things like this until massive civil disobedience is commonplace.

We know that this won't happen. There are too many sheeple.

[at bay]

better than nice, way cool!

[at bay]

All they are saying, as some have said to me--butt out!

[mvpel]

Why do the smokers bait the legislators by strewing their butts everywhere? They ought to know how legislators are by now.

[FloridaBoy]

I read in the paper that Ft. Myers beach here in Florida is strongly considering banning smoking too.

[Paul Atreides]

``It's a great idea,'' said resident Douglas Alden, 38, as he and his 2-year-old son, Clinton

Major barf!

[at bay]

I honestly think the butt-strewing habit is a cry for help "Stop me before I kill (myself). Folks are sick and tired of every nice beach being used as a giant ash tray. The chimney people's lack of aesthetic consideration (not really minding their own business as they would have you believe but littering non-stop) came back to bite'em.

[thegreatbeast]

They wouldn't get away with this in Iran.

[Just another Joe]

Why do the smokers bait the legislators by strewing their butts everywhere? They ought to know how legislators are by now.

I will be the first to admit - a lot of smokers just don't care. What about the ones that do care.
Why not penalize the true people that cause the problem. The people that do not care whether their butts end up on the beach or in the trash.
I was taught, both by my parents and in the Boy Scouts, that you leave a place cleaner than you found it. Why penalize me for OTHER peoples faults?
What is next? What will they find the most of next on a beach?
Baby diapers? No babies on the beach or no diapers on the beach. Which would it be?

[Just another Joe]

at bay, have you ever been penalized for anothers faults?

Not even as a kid in school?

[Dan from Michigan]

But even Stevens is upset by the cigarette butts littering the beach, the stairs leading down from the parking lot, and the bluff overlooking the surf. During a recent cleanup, cigarette butts were the top item collected, according to Mayor Tom Golich.

Ban littering then...whoops...isn't it already illegal?

[mvpel]

You'd think the city could just enforce the littering laws that are already on the books, but passing new laws is apparently just that much more fun.

We're going to have to work hard to break them of that habit.

[Just another Joe]

Ban littering then...whoops...isn't it already illegal?

There aren't enough LEOs to keep the ticket count going so let's inconvenience 25% of the people.

[at bay]

When I worked on the Alaskan pipeline, I enjoyed a freedom in Alaska long gone from almost every other state in the nation--you can have a cold one open and drink it in your car! So as we speak, I am being penalized here in Calyfornia but unlike my second amendment, individual rights, I have no constitutional right to drink a beer while driving and have serious doubts it would be a good idea in this state. Mandatory CCW, different story.

And stopping me because someone may be drinking (sobriety checkpoints unconstitutional in almost half the states) now that's an infringement worth fighting against.

[Pharmboy]

Sheesh...a beach is just a huge ashtray.

[ChemistCat]

Amen. I had a few hours on a California beach a decade ago and swore I'd never go back. The volume of cigarette butts (and pop tops, and beer bottle caps) was higher than the volume of sand. Enforce the littering laws? How many cops would it take, full time?

This will boost tourism, once the fires are out. I bet there are a lot of us who swore we weren't going back because of the butt problem.

[Hot Tabasco]

Folks are sick and tired of every nice beach being used as a giant ash tray

I'm more sick and tired of seeing enormous amounts of trash along the major highways which also include full garbage bags. If I were you, I would spend all of my time trying to incrementally clean up my state by first focusing on your freeways, then your major surface streets and then last of all your neighborhoods. Once that is accomplished, then focus on your beaches.

But what the hell, smokers are now the modern day Jews so that makes us fair game to you nico-nazis........

I find it very ironic that us smokers have now surpassed the street corner whore/crack addict, coke dealer, and pedophile in terms of demonization. One can just imagine what social changes you nazi's could accomplish if you had your priorities straight........