Honolulu Bans Smoking on Beaches

Ah, the beach. The scent of salty ocean, sunscreen, and tobacco from nearby smokers. Starting next year, beach-goers on one island will no longer have to breathe in smoke at the beach—Honolulu’s mayor Kirk Caldwell has just signed two bills that ban smoking on beaches and in other public outdoor places on Hawaii’s Oahu island. These bills add to the current laws against smoking indoors or within 20 feet of entrances to public places.

Smoking will also be prohibited in parks, tennis courts, softball fields, and public pools in Oahu starting on January 1, 2014, reports CNN. Don’t worry though, smokers, municipal golf courses are not part of the ban (because if there’s ever a sport that doesn’t need good lung power, it’s golf.) The law does however, ban smoking in the ocean in areas fronting public lands, so even if you’re perfected your one-armed dead man’s smoke and float, you’re out of luck.

The ban is intended to reduce cigarette butt-litter and stop the spread of secondhand smoke. If you really need to simultaneously get lung cancer while suntanning yourself into skin cancer, E-cigarettes are still allowed.

We expect to see lots of nicotine patches floating in the waters around Oahu like some kind of smokers’ seaweed, but look forward to enjoying smoke-free outdoor spaces. What do you think? Tell us in the comments.

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