Wrightsville Beach NC Smoking Ban

The Cape Fear Chapter asked the Wrightsville Beach Board of Alderman to pass a smoking ban for local beaches after documenting an increase in cigarette butt litter and after two years it was finally passed as a ballot initiative! Cigarette butts are typically made from cellulose acetate - a synthetic fiber type of plastic. Tim Taylor, a member of the Cleaner Greener Committee, said creating a “smoke-free environment” for all of the town's parks and recreation areas – including the beach – would reduce litter and exposure to second-hand smoke. Cape Fear Chapter Chair Sean Ahlum has worked with volunteers to collect cigarette butts from the beach strand as part of the Surfrider Foundation's “Hold On To Your Butt” campaign. Sean reports that in one year, one family picked up 35,000 cigarette butts from the beach.