Above: Smoking would be banned at Sandy Point Beach if a Portsmouth town ordinance is approved.
PORTSMOUTH — The town took a step closer Monday night in banning smoking at Sandy Point Beach and other town-owned recreational properties.
The Town Council voted unanimously to ask Town Solicitor Kevin Gavin to draft an ordinance that would ban smoking at all town beaches, recreation areas and parks. A vote on the ordinance will most likely take place next month.
Smoking is already prohibited at state-run beaches on a voluntary basis, and both Newport and Middletown enacted smoking bans at their beaches and recreation areas earlier this year.
Council member David Gleason, who put the item on Monday’s agenda, said the move would eliminate many of the cigarette butts left behind by beachgoers and would also improve air quality. Smoking would not be completely eliminated, he said, noting that some designated areas could be set aside for smokers.
The smoking ban was originally proposed earlier this year by Clean Ocean Access (COA), an Aquidneck Island environmental nonprofit that conducts beach cleanups in all three island towns throughout the year.
Dave McLaughlin, executive director of COA, reiterated his support for the ban at Monday night’s meeting. He said the ban seems to be working in Middletown, although he didn’t have any information to share about Newport.
According to McLaughlin, cigarette butts remain the biggest scourge during beach cleanups. During the annual International Coastal Cleanup on Sept. 20, nearly 4,000 cigarettes and filters were picked up by volunteers during seven cleanups on Aquidneck Island, according to COA.
Just at Second Beach in Middletown alone, Mr. McLaughlin said, more than 1,000 cigarette butts have been picked up so far this year during COA’s Friday cleanups.
Also lending support to the smoking ban was Ray Davis, coordinator of the Portsmouth Prevention Coalition, who thanked Mr. Gleason and the other council members for considering the new ordinance.
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