The Environmental Committee has put the finishing touches on a draft ordinance that would prohibit smoking on town beaches. Among the items up for discussion are enforcement, whether there should be a designated area for smokers and signage. After researching similar initiatives across the country, committee member Bill Weistling said people are more likely to cooperate when signs are positive. Instead of using “no smoking,” people better respond to “breathe easy” or “enjoy free air.”
The committee also discussed where signs would be placed, with arguments made for the back of lifeguard stands, beach entrances and dune crossings. If signs are posted on lifeguard stands, it doesn’t mean the beach patrol will enforce the rule; signs will encourage beachgoers to report violations to the Fenwick Island Police Department. “If you want to have signs, there should be a reason for it,” committee member Buzz Henifin said. “Lifeguards aren’t responsible for enforcement calls. People should call the police.”
Committee members would like the ban to include cigars, cigarettes and tobacco products on the beach and possibly town parks. Committee Chairman Marry Ellen Langan said she doesn’t expect much resistance from residents. “The majority of residents are seniors and non-smokers,” she said. “The main target of this is our tourists.” Committee members said they’d like to see a designated smoking area near the dunes and signs posted year-round. A draft of the ordinance is scheduled to be presented to the Town Council later this month. “I don’t know if there’s going to be any problems from the council,” Langan said. “We’ll just have to wait and see.”
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