OCEAN CITY – One thing seems certain — Ocean City will have a restricted smoking policy on its beach next summer, but officials will take this season to develop a plan with staff and consider public comments before passing a new law in September.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Mayor and City Council held a discussion considering restricting smoking on the beach. Planning, Community and Development Director Matt Margotta and Planner Bob Nelson presented an analysis of the subject as well as draft ordinance that would ban smoking from the beach and Boardwalk for discussion purposes.
Margotta recognized smoking on the beach was placed as a top priority action in Ocean City’s Strategic Plan effort as well as the decision is value-based of an individual.
OC... Go ahead and get ahead of the wave of non-smoking areas. Go ahead and pass the strictest policy, the toughest policy, of any beach resort in the country. Why? Because it's inevitable. Why is it inevitable? Because there is no "Smoker's Rights Groups" that will complain, but there is a TON of anti-smoking groups out there that will praise the action of the town. Seriously: Go ahead and make the headlines and just do it - and do it right. Penalties: First time, you get a warning. Second time, a small fine. Third and subsequent times, the fines go up dramatically. I should mention this: I am a 40-year chain smoker. I bitched when they banned smoking in restaurants, but learned that I can live with it. Don't judge me on the smoking. Tried to quit many times. Didn't happen. (Just DON'T ban e-Cigs! It's the closest I have come to quitting!)
OC... Go ahead and get ahead of the wave of non-smoking areas.
ReplyDeleteGo ahead and pass the strictest policy, the toughest policy, of any beach resort in the country.
Why? Because it's inevitable.
Why is it inevitable? Because there is no "Smoker's Rights Groups" that will complain, but there is a TON of anti-smoking groups out there that will praise the action of the town.
Seriously: Go ahead and make the headlines and just do it - and do it right.
Penalties: First time, you get a warning. Second time, a small fine. Third and subsequent times, the fines go up dramatically.
I should mention this: I am a 40-year chain smoker. I bitched when they banned smoking in restaurants, but learned that I can live with it.
Don't judge me on the smoking. Tried to quit many times. Didn't happen.
(Just DON'T ban e-Cigs! It's the closest I have come to quitting!)