Wrightsville Beach sees compliance, with little fuss, on smoking ban

Source: Star-News, Wilmington, N.迷你倉沙田C.Aug. 10--Nine months after voters declared Wrightsville Beach a tobacco-free zone, beachgoers and smokers alike have settled into the new rules with little fanfare."Now that you mention it, I haven't had to deal with smoke in my face at all," said Sarah Fruendt, a junior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington who hits the beach about twice a month until winter arrives. "It's been nicer."The ban was passed in November via a referendum with the support of about 65 percent of voters. The policy prohibits beachgoers from using or possessing lighted cigarettes, cigars, pipes or other tobacco products on the dry sand portion of the beach. Smokers can light up where the sand meets pavement on the far side of the public beach accesses, which have been outfitted with designated cigarette disposals.Officials began implementing the policy this spring by educating beachgoers about the rule rather than instantly issuing written warnings or citations. Thus far, that approach seems to be working."The thing we've found is that most people have realized there's an ordinance in place, and they've just been complying with it," said Wrightsville Beach Police Chief Daniel House. "I drive the beach twice a day, and I don't think I've seen more than 12 or 13 p迷你倉價錢ople on the beach smoking."Most of those smokers, he added, thought they were complying with the ban."In the beginning when they first passed the ordinance, a lot of people didn't understand it," House said. "They'd stand at the beach access, but not understand that they had to be at the pavement. Since then, I've only had to tell one person that he couldn't be on the beach with a cigarette."On the whole, the ban hasn't sparked much ire among smokers, according to Brian Gill, who runs the tackle shop at Johnnie Mercers Fishing Pier. Smoking is still permitted there because the pier is private property, but people who head there to get their nicotine fix don't seem irritated by the beach policy."A lot of people come to ask if they can smoke on the pier, but no one has really seemed annoyed," Gill said. "It really hasn't been much of an issue."Jose Vazquez, a Raleigh resident visiting the beach Saturday, agreed."I heard about it when they passed the ban," said Vazquez, a smoker. "Sometimes it's annoying to have to walk to the pavement, but you get used to it."Kate Elizabeth Queram: 343-2217On Twitter: @kate_goes_bleuCopyright: ___ (c)2013 the Star-News (Wilmington, N.C.) Visit the Star-News (Wilmington, N.C.) at .starnewsonline.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉庫