NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — Trash and litter continue to plague Florida beaches, with the number one item picked up being cigarette butts.
What You Need To Know
- Litter gatherers say cigarette butts are the top type of trash they remove from beaches
- A new state law allows counties to enact an ordinance to ban smoking on beaches and public parks
- Some support it, feeling it could help matters, but believe clean-up services would still be necessary for other litter
A new state law allows counties and municipalities to enact smoking bans and restrictions on beaches and public parks with the exception of unfiltered cigars. Volunteer clean-up crews in New Smyrna Beach say a smoking ban would be beneficial, but that clean-up services would still be necessary to help keep Florida beaches beautiful.
Wood Belcher, who volunteers with the “Beach Relief” organization, regularly picks up litter across nine miles of New Smyrna Beach. He’s surprised at how many people still throw trash on the ground.
“People will throw trash out of their car, still in this day and age!” he said.
(Photo credit: Beach Relief)
Coordinator and Environmental Manager for Volusia County’s litter crew, Christie Miller, said each volunteer collects on average five to seven pounds of litter each trip — with a group usually of about five to ten people.
And Miller said the trash collection never gets smaller.
While restrictions on smoking would help eliminate the number of cigarette butts found on the beach, other trash and litter would still end up on the sand and in the ocean.
“Hopefully, people are doing the right thing. But either way, when the plastic winds up on the beach, it’s an endangerment to the wildlife, so we have to get it up,” Miller said.
(Photo credit: Beach Relief)
Cora Berchem, with “Save the Manatee Club,” said she’s seen on video a manatee surface feeding and narrowly missing a cigarette.
“That’s just really upsetting to me. That doesn’t have to happen!” she said.
She believes there could be fewer manatee deaths, not just from a smoking ban, but with personal responsibility.
New Smyrna Beach Mayor Russ Owen said he’d support a smoking ban, for a trial run, at least.
“Like most things, the threat of penalty brings pretty broad compliance. If we reduced it by 80%, that’s a win,” he said.
Ultimately, it’s up to the Volusia County Council to ban smoking on beaches.
Chairperson Jeff Brower said he’s split on the issue. While he doesn’t want to ban a smoker’s right, he doesn’t want the smoking either.
He’s inviting his constituents to reach out and weigh-in.