Do you think the Town of Wrightsville Beach should ban smoking on the beach tonight to prevent butts in the sand?

How does someone's smoking in the out of doors in a public place infringe on your freedom? Whether you agree or not, smokers have rights too. The main issue appears to be the butts. This issue is similar to the people who litter our roads. Why not have laws that ban food and drinks in vehicles. We have too many laws and government control as it is. People just need to be responsible and considerate of others without the government stepping in telling us what we can and can't do.

It's not the actual tobacco that a lot people have a problem with on the beach, its the litter left behind by most of the inconsiderate smokers.

You mean the freedom to use the world as your own personal trash can? You're still able to smoke, but you should at least be responsible enough not to litter. It's so simple; just pick up after yourself. How hard is that?

I agree that freedom grows with the lost rights of individuals.

No smoking on the beach is the first step.

Then, the merchants will want a ban on drinks and food on the beach because of "trash and litter".

Then a ban of sunscreen because the chemicals affect wildlife and the ocean.

Then a ban on chairs and umbrellas because of the "damage" it does to the sand, and visual pollution to the beauty of the sand and surf.

We can only hope that a few sea turtles decide to nest, and we can close a large portion of the beach.

Then we can divide the remaining beach into the following sections;

Families, singles, swimmers, surfers, tanners, metal detectors, sea shell hunters, body surfing etc.

After these bans, the public will finally accept a total ban of people on the beach because of the danger of skin cancer.

Although I am joking about the above, with the loss of one right, it is easier to destroy more rights.

There are already littering laws on the books to deal with people leaving trash on the beach, enforce those laws first before denying others their rights.

And if successfully banning smoking is achieved, the calculate the money for renourishment and deduct the amount of taxes derived from cigarette taxes from the total, then let the beach community make up the difference.

Personal responsibility and enforcement of litter laws is the answer, not the destruction of individual rights.

Smoke all you want and slowly kill yourself, but PLEASE dispose of your butts somewhere other than the sand! The beach isn't your ashtray!

Or people are just tired of seeing them all over the beach. I don't know, your explanation sounds a lot cooler though. Hey, have you heard that our last 4 presidents are really lizards?