Jul 31 - San Diego Agrees To Smoke-Free Surf
A growing trend hit San Diego recently, where the City Council voted to ban smoking at public parks and beaches. The ban was formulated through health protection and the burden cigarette butts bring to trash collectors. M.S. Enkoji of the Sacramento Bee reports.
It's hard out there for a smoker.And it just got a little harder in the seaside city of San Diego, where the City Council recently voted to ban smoking at public parks and beaches.
In a state where 14 percent of adults light up -- eight points lower than the national average -- the appeal of smoking bans is rapidly expanding from enclosed spaces to the great outdoors, said Debra Kelley, vice president of government relations for the San Diego office of the American Lung Association of California.
Science and public will are behind the trend, Kelley said.
Cigarette butts pose potential harm to both terrestrial and aquatic species. Because cigarettes are non biodegradable, animals can inadvertently swallow the litter, and the toxic chemicals can cause them to be poisoned. Additionally, cigarette butts continue to be one of the most littered items in beaches and parks.
What You Can Do:
- Learn More about the dangers of cigarette butts in our water ways.
- Send a message to help encourage future cigarette litter bans.