Posted on 07/10/2004 8:11:20 AM PDT by The Other Harry
July 10, 2004
Capitola drafting beach-smoking ban
By RAMONA TURNER
Sentinel staff writer
CAPITOLA — The City Council has asked staff to draft a proposal that would lead to an ordinance prohibiting smoking at Capitola Main Beach and on the wharf.
At Thursday night’s council meeting, members pointed out that cigarette butts are not biodegradable and pose a significant health and environmental hazard.
"I went down to the beach on Father’s Day and saw a toddler sitting in the sand and pick up a cigarette butt and put it in their mouth," Councilman Bruce Arthur said.
Part of the ordinance could include lining the Esplanade with ashtrays, and working with owners to provide ashtrays outside Village-area restaurants.
While some council members expressed concern on how the ordinance would be enforced, Arthur said nonsmokers would help enforce it because they know the dangers of second-hand smoke.
Of course, a "realistically absurd" fine could help, too, he said.
Oh my goodness!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you so VERY much for letting me know that /sarcasm
All kidding aside, yesterday afternoon as we were getting in the car, parked in our driveway, a breeze picked up a piece of paper from the front seat and blew it out the door. Our 6 year old had a total fit because we were "polluting" and took off after the errant paper. For a couple of "slobs" I guess her father and I are teaching her something!!!
I live on a very busy road that leads to a popular camp ground and a fishing village. I have to pick up trash tossed from passing vehicles on a nearly daily basis. Cigarette butts are a rarity in comparison to cans, bottles and fast food wrappers.
And considering I have 500feet of road frontage, I think I can speak with quite a bit of knowlege.
Living on a country road, my mail box sits way across the street. And I never ever see butts anywhere around the grass or the road between my house and the mailbox.
There will be an empty can of beer thrown into my yard on occasion though. Now THAT'S irritating!
I suppose you realize that this movement got started in the SoCal beach cities, right? Did you also realize, but for the exception of Malibu/SM/Venice, every SoCal beach city is Republican? Especially those in San Diego and OC, such as Huntington Beach, which just passed its no-smoking-on-the-beach ordinance on Tues.
In terms of trash on the beach, this is one of the classic misdirects of all time. The vast majority of people use the trash bins - its the seagulls digging through the bins looking for food that cause wrappers to spill out. Anyone from around here has seen it many times.
Compare this to smokers, who simply treat the beach as an ash-tray (or insouciantly flick their butts away as if they're James Dean). A 'flicking off the pier' incident witnessed by the oldest guy on the HB council prompted him to introduce the bill. Btw, he's also the most crusty conservative on the council, and his son is a West Point grad who just got back from Iraq. (He was also in the 4th of July parade last week.)
Smoker's pay more then their fair share of taxes, and to be banned from a beach of all places is going over the top.
There was a time when I agreed with smoking bans regarding "public" places, that is those paid for with tax dollars.....I still will go along with that in regard to government building where in most cases people do HAVE to go to.
I no longer feel that way in regard to other "public" places, particularly those in the great out doors. Unlike the Court House or Motor Vehicle, no one if FORCED to go to the beach or the park and smokers pay at least an equal amount in taxes (if not more) than non-smokers for those venues.
The vast majority of beaches and parks I am aware of already forbid glass containers.....yet there is far more broken glass and discarded bottles than cigarette butts on all of them.
personally I would prefer to step on a cigarette butt than a broken bottle, but, alas, that rarely happens.
Considering your dislike of beer - I imagine that would be VERY irritating.....LOL!!!!
I'm lucky, my mailbox is on my side of the road at the end of my driveway, but since one of us goes to it every day, we've gotten into the habit of taking a bag with us to pick up the garbage. Yesterday I picked up a fifth bottle of Bacardi, alas it was empty!!!!
Oh please..........just as all people that picnic at the beach do not leave their remains on the beach not all, in fact rather few, smokers use the beach as an ashtray.
Here's a good estimate: 99% of people use the trash bins for food wrappers, etc. while 99% of smokers either ground out their butts in the sand or flick them away.
I always see people gathering up their trash after lunch/snack and trudging the 50-75 ft to discard their wrappers. I've never seen a smoker get up off after having a "satisfying toke" to throw away the remnants of their dirty little habit/addiction.
ROFLMAO................talk about inane statements.
I was at the beach yesterday and not only did I not see anyone flicking their butts, I didn't find any in the sand, however I did cut my foot on a piece of glass.
My cigarette butts went into an empty can and left the beach in the trash bag I always bring along with everything else. And we will be doing the exact same thing this evening when my husband gets home from work.
If you are encountering so many cigarette butts you live in an area populated with slobs....I apparently don't. Nearly everyone I encounter on the beach in a given week is a smoker, but the butts on the beach are few and far between.
At least I only have to worry about broken glass (fortunately my tetnus shots are up to date) now, unlike when I lived in Delaware and had to be concerned about used condoms and syringes, in addition to the broken glass.
No! No! Stop that! LOL! I have really tried to develop a taste for beer over the years, but it just gives me a headache after only one and a half. But it's just that you can SEE a can in the yard a lot easier then a little butt. And those I don't see. And most all the farmers around here smoke, yet they do not throw them out of their farm equipments as they pass by the house.
When ever I went to the beach or I am attending an outdoor function, I always carry a Coke can for my butts. Even back when smokers weren't considered to be such pigs. I never did like to litter.
You were probably drinking the wrong kind of beer!! There are some that give me splitting headaches half way through the first one, and there are times when I drink beer the way others drink soda or iced tea!
But all kidding aside, this litter thing about smokers is driving me nuts....however it is further proof that the anti-smoker campaigns are about nothing other than control.
As I said on another thread, anti-smokers are ugly people, not necessarily in their looks, but in their behavior. Judging from the foaming at the mouth on another forum about that comment, I think I hit a real sore spot with the antis!!!!
Just like the DU trolls we get here at FR, when the antis can't fault the message they attack the messenger. And in typical control freak fashion do it somewhere else because they know they will be trounced here at FR!!!!
Me either, and we are teaching our daughter the same. I tend to leave the beach or park, or wherever, with more trash than my family generated, but that's the way I was raised.
Semper Fi
The smoke haters become so upset with seeing it that they forget to put on sunscreen. Thirty years on down the line they develop skin cancer and die. This will, of course, be tallied up as a tobacco-related death.
And that is why second-hand smoke at the beach is dangerous.
Sums things up very well.
Thank you.
Don't be surprised when one of them claims that....I mean they claim smoking and second hand smoke causes everything from arthritis to zits...why not add skin cancer?
I think you are in error here. The L.A. city council & the L.A. county board of supervisors are mostly Democrats and they have jurisdiction over a lot of the beaches.
And I'll bet you're watching their every move with hawk-like attention.
Here's a clue - it's unsafe to throw a cigarette butt into a trash can. That's why I, like Gabz, use empty soda cans for disposal. Then we throw away the can.
What a concept, huh?
the anti-smokers have no clue........
Each and every day I am amazed at the number of them who claim to be conservatives in favor of smaller government and lower taxes......yet seek government intervention to protect them from the evil smokers and applaud every hike in smoker taxes.
And BTW - I usually use a beer can!!!!
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