Delray eyes beach people ban
Delray to designate beach smoking zones
December 12, 2006
By Dianna Smith
By Dianna Smith
DELRAY BEACH — Smokers will soon have their own special sections of sand along the Atlantic Ocean.
City staff is creating smoking areas on the city’s biggest money maker, almost 2 miles of pristine beach that attract 1.2 million people a year.
Though commissioners passed the rule last week, implementation is unclear. Right now, there are no clear guidelines as to how to establish smoking sections on a beach.
Where to place the smoking sections is still up in the air, along with how to enforce the no-smoking rule and, more important, who will enforce it. The city code enforcement officers would be likely candidates, but there’s talk that perhaps lifeguards will be forced to add smokers to their list of what to look for through their binoculars.
Bob Taylor, the ocean rescue superintendent, said his staff of 30 are trained to watch the water for potential hazards, not for people smoking
cigarettes.
cigarettes.
“My guys will continue to watch the water and not be looking for people smoking, but we’ll do whatever the city determines is the best way to go,” he said. “I think a lot of people are going to be watching what happens in Delray.”
The smoking issue came up a few months ago when a visitor contacted Mayor Jeff Perlman to compliment him on the city’s beautiful beaches, but to also complain about the smokers relaxing on the sand. The complaint ignited a plan commissioners had to ban smoking on the beach altogether, but, because the law was fuzzy on whether a city could pass such a law, the commission settled for creating smoking sections instead.
Perlman said he’s received a lot of support for the new law and has received calls from many, including officials from Pompano Beach. Sandra King, spokeswoman for the city, said commissioners and residents were tired of finding cigarette butts buried in the sand.
On Nov. 14, the Pompano Beach City Commission asked the city attorney to prepare an ordinance prohibiting smoking on the city’s entire stretch of beach.
Cocoa Beach tried to do the same thing earlier this year by putting it on an election ballot, but the proposal was narrowly defeated with 53 percent of the voters against it.
Delray Beach City Manager David Harden said, right now, people are still allowed to smoke on the beach, but that should change in the next few months. The city gives $50 citations for anyone caught littering on the beach. Once smoking sections are designated by signs and verbal warnings have been issued, if someone is caught smoking in a non-smoking area the fine will also be $50.
Taylor said he might suggest the city create smoking sections at the south and north ends of the beach, close to the city’s recreation areas.
“The hardest part about this whole thing is going to be the first six months,” Taylor said. “We get a lot of tourists in this area, especially from Europe. A lot of those people smoke. Educating everybody. That’s going to be the challenge.”
What are your thoughts about this issue? Please post your comment below. We reserve the right to delete offensive or inappropriate comments. Report abuse.
Comments:
By T. Graves
December 13, 2006
Hate-laws based on junk science like this one destroy freedom in America.
By H. Melton
By T. Graves
December 13, 2006
Hate-laws based on junk science like this one destroy freedom in America.
By H. Melton
December 13, 2006
I knew there was a good reason why I didn’t care for Florida. No smoking on
the beach kinda sums it all up. Government is going to far. There is no
place for personal agenda as it applies to the politicins.
By RJ
I knew there was a good reason why I didn’t care for Florida. No smoking on
the beach kinda sums it all up. Government is going to far. There is no
place for personal agenda as it applies to the politicins.
By RJ
December 13, 2006
Heil Hitler – you wanted it – you got it – welcome to amerika.
By but seriously
Heil Hitler – you wanted it – you got it – welcome to amerika.
By but seriously
December 12, 2006
I have never seen any issues with people bringing thier dogs and can’t
understand why there isn’t at least a time (early morning or late evening)
that the beaches are dog friendly.
By Geoffrey
I have never seen any issues with people bringing thier dogs and can’t
understand why there isn’t at least a time (early morning or late evening)
that the beaches are dog friendly.
By Geoffrey
December 12, 2006
The city already has an ordinance in place against littering – why don’t
they enforce that law instead of creating another one?
By Laura
The city already has an ordinance in place against littering – why don’t
they enforce that law instead of creating another one?
By Laura
December 12, 2006
Jessica, Why were you barking? I agree that dogs on the beach. Are a bigger
issue than smoking outside. I have seen many dog owners look the other way
as their dog poops in the sand where children are happily digging nearby.
Smoke to your hearts content but please pick up your poop.
By Jessica
Jessica, Why were you barking? I agree that dogs on the beach. Are a bigger
issue than smoking outside. I have seen many dog owners look the other way
as their dog poops in the sand where children are happily digging nearby.
Smoke to your hearts content but please pick up your poop.
By Jessica
December 12, 2006
May we please have desinated dog areas also on the beach. I am tired of
barking and stepping in dog poop on these 2 miles of pristine beaches.
By Always Amazed
May we please have desinated dog areas also on the beach. I am tired of
barking and stepping in dog poop on these 2 miles of pristine beaches.
By Always Amazed
December 12, 2006
Let’s see. In one of the four remaining states totally controlled by
Republicans, who cliam to stand against government interference in an
individual’s private life, governmental controls against smoking outside are
on the verge of being passed. Hmmmm – sounds a lot like that party’s stance
on governental fiscal restraint.
By Livid
Let’s see. In one of the four remaining states totally controlled by
Republicans, who cliam to stand against government interference in an
individual’s private life, governmental controls against smoking outside are
on the verge of being passed. Hmmmm – sounds a lot like that party’s stance
on governental fiscal restraint.
By Livid
December 12, 2006
The state of Florida has more registered sex offenders than any other in the
nation except perhaps California; crime and housing costs are out of
control, little children come out of our schools practically illiterate, we
are in a losing imperialistic war in Iraq run by Big Oil, Americans are
dying by the thousands because of our chemically processed, pesticided foods
but THE ONLY THING WE CAN THINK OF DOING IS BANNING OUTDOOR SMOKING. Oh yes,
that will help change our world. For heaven’s sake.
The state of Florida has more registered sex offenders than any other in the
nation except perhaps California; crime and housing costs are out of
control, little children come out of our schools practically illiterate, we
are in a losing imperialistic war in Iraq run by Big Oil, Americans are
dying by the thousands because of our chemically processed, pesticided foods
but THE ONLY THING WE CAN THINK OF DOING IS BANNING OUTDOOR SMOKING. Oh yes,
that will help change our world. For heaven’s sake.
Delray sets hearings on smoking ban, homes at monastery site
November 26, 2006
Dale King
The Delray Beach City Commission will deal with two issues – one already volatile, the other potentially so – at its Dec. 5 meeting.
Commissioners on Tuesday gave first reading to a proposal to ban smoking on sections of the municipal beach. For first reading, no public comment is allowed.
The board also called for a hearing Dec. 5 on the request of the Poor Sisters of St. Clare to sell 11 of the 15 acres of their monastery for homes.
Read More
November 26, 2006
Dale King
The Delray Beach City Commission will deal with two issues – one already volatile, the other potentially so – at its Dec. 5 meeting.
Commissioners on Tuesday gave first reading to a proposal to ban smoking on sections of the municipal beach. For first reading, no public comment is allowed.
The board also called for a hearing Dec. 5 on the request of the Poor Sisters of St. Clare to sell 11 of the 15 acres of their monastery for homes.
Read More
Delray eyes beach smoking ban
September 21, 2006
Dianna Smith
Dianna Smith
DELRAY BEACH — The rain had just disappeared Wednesday, leaving calm waters, damp sand and a peaceful afternoon for beachgoer Jennifer Hanley. Sprawled on a beach towel with sunscreen nearby, the redhead soaked in the sun, adjusted her sunglasses and opened her crumpled pack of Parliaments.
Smoking and lying on the beach go hand-in-hand for Hanley, just as they do for many others, but Delray Beach city commissioners may make it more difficult for smokers to take those drags on the sand.
Mayor Jeff Perlman has asked City Attorney Susan Ruby to research banning smoking on sections of the beach.
“That’s a waste of money,” said Hanley, 32, who visits the city often but lives in Pompano Beach. “We have worse problems in Delray Beach.”
The idea came from an e-mail Perlman received from a new resident who raved about the city but complained about smokers on the beach. The mayor shares the concern.
“I’ve noticed that there are people who use the beach as an ashtray,” Perlman said. “We pride ourselves on trying to have a pristine beach. I think it would be good if we could have nonsmoking areas like you used to have in restaurants.”
Smokers are known to litter beaches with cigarette butts, which is why most smoke-free beach movements center on litter, said Bronson Frick, an associate director for Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights, a national group based in Berkeley, Calif.
The group keeps track of most smoking bans in the United States. Its list of smoke-free beaches or lakes includes 49 cities, with many in California, Minnesota and New Jersey. No Florida cities are listed.
Peter Hanauer, a policy analyst with the group, said smoking should be banned on all beaches because secondhand smoke is not safe. Period.
“It’s dangerous whether it’s inside or outside,” Hanauer said.
Perlman said sectioning off the beaches would give visitors the option of where to spend their day at the beach.
“This way if you don’t want to take your family to an area where people are smoking, you don’t have to,” Perlman said. “Hopefully there would be a reduction in the litter in those areas.”
Hanley said she always throws her cigarette butts in the garbage, and when she knows she’s going to smoke on the beach, she sits away from the crowd.
But Ed McCabe, who enjoyed his afternoon at the beach a few feet away from Hanley, said that doesn’t matter. Smoking in public is offensive to people who don’t smoke, he said.
“When they smoke, they’re forcing us to smoke,” said McCabe, who supports the smoking ban. “The more you ban it, the more people might consider giving it up.”
