It seems like Rehoboth Beach needs to follow what the other Delaware beach towns have done in regards to smoking on the beach and boardwalk. Fenwick Island, Bethany, Delaware state beaches and most recently Dewey have enacted smoking bans on their beaches. Bethany has even included its boardwalk too.
Now, unless we do the same, we’ll become the “unofficial smoking beach.” I’ve noticed even more smoking this year since Dewey started the smoking ban last May. There’s plenty of reasons why it should be done. Secondhand smoke is both a health threat (ask anyone who has any type of breathing issues) and a general nuisance to those who find the odor annoying. Then there’s the issue of litter. Cigarette butts are like small toxic waste dumps that never decompose. They either wash out into the ocean or get left behind in the sand. Neither one’s a good solution. When left on the beach, it becomes a possible toy for small children to pick up.
And do we want our impressionable children exposed to the sight of adults smoking? Rehoboth has plenty of other places where people can smoke. So don’t complain about losing your rights. Smokers only make up less than 20 percent of the population, and yet, what they’re doing affects the other 80 percent. Remember, smoking is optional, but breathing isn’t.
I recently started a petition that was handed in to the city’s mayor and commissioners at Monday’s board meeting. It contained close to 300 signees. Even more responded to me via email, most of them expressing thanks for doing this, and including the reason they felt it should be passed. I asked Commissioner Stan Mills to introduce the measure on the ban to the board for their consideration, which he did. If you feel as strongly as I do about this, please contact the board and let them know.
Steve Curson
Rehoboth Beach
-
A letter to the editor expresses a reader's opinion and, as such, is not reflective of the editorial opinions of this newspaper.
To submit a letter to the editor for publishing, send an email to viewpoints@capegazette.com. All letters are considered at the discretion of the newsroom and published as space allows. Due to the large volume of submissions, we cannot acknowledge receipt of each submission. Letters must include a phone number and address for verification. Keep letters to 400 words or fewer. We reserve the right to edit for content or length. Letters should be responsive to issues addressed in the Cape Gazette rather than content from other publications or media. Letters should focus on local issues, not national topics or personalities. Only one letter per author will be published every 30 days regarding a particular topic. Authors may submit a second letter within that time period if it pertains to a different issue. Letters may not be critical of personalities or specific businesses. Criticism of public figures is permissible. Endorsement letters for political candidates are no longer accepted. Letters must be the author’s original work, and may not be generated by artificial intelligence tools. Templates, form letters and letters containing language similar to other submissions will not be published.
