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Is smoking the worst problem on the beach?

By Catherine Toth Fox • April 9, 2013 • #CatTravels, Musings, The Daily Dish

Butt-on-Kuhio-Beach-JPG

Sometimes, in the middle of the day, I escape from work and head to the nearest beach.

I just want to sit in the sun, watch the waves, and relax. The only sound is the wind, the only smell is the salty ocean.

And I can’t tell you how many times that relaxing moment is ruined — and usually by some chatty (and loud) beachgoer on a cell phone.

But that’s the nature of a public beach. People are free to talk on their phones, to eat Doritos, and, up until yesterday, smoke on the beach.

Yes, a new law — Bill 72 — took effect prohibiting smoking at several beaches and parks on Oahu. The law, though, can only be enforced at Ala Moana Beach for now, though the bill includes Duke Kahanamoku Beach Park, Kapiolani Beach Park, Kapiolani Beach Park Center, Kapiolani Park, Kuhio Beach Park and Sandy Beach. Police can fine violators $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second and — get this — $500 for any addition offense.

That’s more expensive than not wearing your seatbelt or jaywalking.

The goal of the law is to prevent secondhand smoke and the littering of cigarette butts.

And while I’m no fan of cigar smoke and I’m not a smoker myself, I can think of far worse things that people do on public beaches than light up.

I’m not sure if a ban is going to work, especially when it can only be enforced at one beach. And does it make sense to spend time and money on combating those who smoke on the beach when there are other far more serious issues our government should focus on?

Tourism is our largest industry, I get it, so it makes sense to keep our beaches clean and to provide a positive experience for everyone. But is this really going to help?

You tell me.

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About the Author

Catherine Toth Fox

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16 Comments

  • Reply David Jackson April 9, 2013 at 3:35 am

    It is not the worst problem just one of many little problems. So the law is meant to enhance the tourist experience? Should be all beaches right? I always spent my time at Waimea, White Sands, and Kalama. My only real complaint most times was finding a place to park. On occasion people would cook on the beach and leave a mess but it was pretty rare. Then there were the lolos that would break in your car… And on the 4th I did not like the firework paper all over the place. Now that I think about it the biggest problem for me is that I am not there right now to monitor this situation 🙂

    • Reply Catherine Toth April 12, 2013 at 8:17 am

      I have no idea how police are going to enforce this law, especially when they can’t get the homeless off the beaches. Should be interesting.

  • Reply Pomai April 9, 2013 at 4:02 am

    Coming soon to an Oahu beach near you: NO CELL PHONE USE.

    …followed by NO TALKING or PLAYING MUSIC OVER 100

    There’s got to be a limit between the law and common courtesy. The problem is, Oahu is so darned overpopulated not just with citizens, but greedy lawyers and politicians taking advantage of the myriad of problems that come along with that.

    I’m now thinking of moving to North Korean. 🙁

    • Reply Catherine Toth April 12, 2013 at 8:18 am

      I agree with common courtesy. That’s lost — and you can’t create laws for that.

      Don’t move to North Korea! I can’t come visit you!

  • Reply Annoddah Dave April 9, 2013 at 6:19 am

    CAT: Like Pomai said, soon there will be more and more regulations. I can see receptacles for used condoms and signs saying how they could harm fish and turtles if they are left in the water. If I live another 100 years I would look for another island. Maybe, Loihi?

    • Reply Catherine Toth April 12, 2013 at 8:18 am

      I do feel like this island particularly is so crowded, it’s hard to breathe sometimes. I hate it when people say, “Well, that’s the price you pay to live in paradise.” It shouldn’t be this difficult!

  • Reply rayboyjr April 9, 2013 at 7:15 am

    Hey Cat … worst things that people do on public beaches??? … how about displaying badly out of shape bodies!!! … haha … just kidding … I’m guilty of that …

    … I think any regulation is only as good as it can be enforced … that’s always the biggest problem … who is going to enforce this??? … I’m sure we won’t have extra cops on the beach just for this … City or State workers??? …

    … you know using the cell phone while driving is prohibited … and we all know how well that’s working …

    • Reply Pomai April 9, 2013 at 11:18 am

      What ever happened to the pedestrian-driver crosswalk law? I don’t see cops enforcing that anymore, and I live in Waikiki, plus work near downtown where it was heavily enforced when that law first went into effect. Not anymore.

      • Reply Pomai April 9, 2013 at 7:09 pm

        How ironic. As soon as I say that this morning, today after work around 5pm driving home, there were 3 police officers standing on several corners of the intersection of Piikoi and King Street (a major H1 port to west-bound motorists), citing offenders of the pedestrian-driver crosswalk law.

        • Reply Catherine Toth April 12, 2013 at 8:19 am

          Oh, I’ve been cited. LOL

  • Reply eddyo April 9, 2013 at 7:34 am

    Good Morning Cat,

    Hard to say where I come down on this. Like yourself, I’m not a smoker, but realize that people should allow certain public liberties & also know people that died of lung cancer despite being non-smokers. I guess my concern is that a law without enforcement is essentially a non-law. The state should actually get on smokers picking up their opala, since it is littering to be sticking their butts (i.e., cig butts!) in the sand.

    • Reply Catherine Toth April 12, 2013 at 8:19 am

      I think the littering is the bigger problem, too!

  • Reply M April 9, 2013 at 9:22 am

    Hello Cat,
    It will be very hard to enforce and I don’t like smokers who use the beach as an ash tray, gross.

    • Reply Catherine Toth April 12, 2013 at 8:19 am

      And not just the beaches… I hate it when I see people toss their cigarette butts out the window. What’s that about??

  • Reply M April 9, 2013 at 9:25 am

    For those who been to Japan, have you notice that there’s no butts or litter on the ground even though there’s lots of smokers there? The smokers carry pocket ash trays.

  • Reply Kenneth April 10, 2013 at 10:30 am

    Politics is the only profession where good intentions are more important than successful results. And good intentions trump failure in politics too!
    Stop voting for nanny state politicians!

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About Me

About Me
Born and raised on O‘ahu, Hawaiʻi, Catherine Toth Fox has been chronicling her adventures in her blog, The Cat Dish, for more than a decade. She worked as a newspaper reporter in Hawai‘i for 10 years and continues to freelance—in between teaching journalism, hitting the surf and eating everything in sight—for national and local print and online publications. She’s currently the editor of HAWAIʻI Magazine.

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