Smoking has been banned from Wrightsville Beach, in USA. It is the first beach in North Carolina to ban smoking on its sands.
Wrightsville Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches on the North Carolina coast. On any given day, you can find people including many children and families enjoying a perfect day at the beach relaxing, strolling, picnicking, bathing and surfing.
Discarded cigarette butts and drifting second hand smoke can also be found at Wrightsville Beach causing health concerns for the many people and wildlife that visit and live in town.
Now, of 1,675 residents, 966 voted in favor of the smoking ban at Wrightsville Beach and the authorities will prepare signs and violation fines. Cape Fear Surfrider Foundation was behind this eco-victory.
Cigarette filters are made of cellulose acetate - a type of plastic - and are not biodegradable. Designed to trap toxins from smoking, the filters contain upwards of 400 different highly toxic chemicals that can leach into our environment.
Yet, according to the Center for Disease Control, less than 20% of the US population over 18 are smokers. Each year, in North Carolina, nearly 24,000 children under 18 begin smoking.