Push to Limit Smoking on Beaches

These days smokers have been kicked out of bars, restaurants and even their work places too.

Now some in Fairfield want to keep people from puffing on town beaches as well.

Susan Hersh, of Fairfield, has asked the Parks and Recreation Commission to consider designating smoking areas at five beaches including the beach at Lake Mohegan, according to the Connecticut Post.

Hersh is not asking for an outright ban of smoking at the town beaches, but rather set up the smoking areas until 7 p.m, the paper reported. Right now, Fairfield restricts smoking when youth recreational practices are taking place at parks or beaches.

"Fairfield was rated one of the top towns to live in," Hersh told the paper. Why can't we be forward thinking?"

She's not just concerned about the passive smoke in the air, but says smokers leave cigarette butts in the sand, making the beaches look like ash trays.

Hersh points to a regulation at beaches in Westerly, R.I. "Westerly has an area adjacent to the beach with special canisters for cigarette butts. Smokers have to get off their chair, go to the smoking area, and then go back to the beach," she said.