Imagine taking a stroll along the beach, the sun is setting, the waves are rolling, and with every step you take you find someone’s discarded cigarette wedged between your bare toes. Now imagine a relaxing day at the beach: a good book in your hands, the comfort of your favourite beach chair, and the steady stream of smoke drifting from the inconsiderate smoker right next to you.

While everybody has the right to choose to smoke, everybody also has the right to clean air. The beach is such a public area, a haven for locals and tourists alike during the summer months. Though designated smoking areas can be found in many parts of the community, the shoreline shouldn’t be one of them, especially during the hot months of the year when our beaches are areas where children frequent. For this reason, it should not be unreasonable to request it be smoke free.

When a cigarette butt is thrown carelessly onto the sand, it immediately becomes a hazard to children, animals (particularly birds), and our Lake Huron water source. Implementing the ban of smoking on beaches may be a long process; however there is an immediate need for receptacles to dispose of the cigarette butts, such as outdoor ash trays and trash cans. The ultimate goal of the Saugeen District Secondary School Planeteers would be to have a smoke free beach, though in the meantime, we can all work together to have a clean shoreline.