Portsmouth Council Votes for Beach and Park Smoking Ban

Smoking will be prohibited on all municipally-owned beaches on Aquidneck Island next summer after the Portsmouth Town Council on Monday voted unanimously to have an ordinance drafted for next year.

Portsmouth now joins Newport and Middletown, which passed similar ordinances earlier this year.

The Town Council vote was sparked by a request by Councilman David Gleason, who said the time had come for the town to take steps to reduce litter and ensure beachgoers get to enjoy clean air while they’re soaking up the fun and sun. Gleason requested the item be put on Monday night’s agenda, the Patch first reported last week.

Along with health concerns, the measure is intended to help reduce litter. Cigarette butts are the most commonly-found item of trash found during the numerous cleanups organized by Clean Ocean Access every year.

Along with banning smoking at beaches, the ordinance would cover smoking in parks and recreation areas.

Critics of the smoking bans argued that they would be difficult, if not impossible, to enforce.

Proponents say that no-smoking signs can pressure people to think twice before lighting up. The town might also set up designated smoking areas with the understanding that no smoking ban will completely eliminate a person’s desire to smoke.

The ban in Newport took some effort to get passed. The resolution faced some opposition from both the Open Space and Newport Beach Commissions. They argued a point that many feel rings true: enforcement will be difficult, posting no smoking signs will clutter up parks and beaches and it raises certain issues of liberty and personal freedom since they are publicly-owned places when it comes down to it.

In the end, the ban was enacted due to the overwhelming evidence that smoking is a scourge on public health and a critical litter problem.

Along with the ban on public beaches and in parks in Newport, the Cliff Walk Commission endorsed the plan and had the walk included in the smoking ban.