[happy2fish]

Surfside Beach the 5,000-resident town south of Myrtle Beach is prohibiting smoking on the beach starting Oct. 1.According to Surfside Beach Councilwoman Judy Tuttle says “An amendment was added to ban smoking on the beach after residents clamored for it”.

Dan Burger, a Charleston-based spokesman for the state’s office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management states, “Cigarette butts are the No. 1 pollutant of S.C. beaches and can be dangerous to turtles and fish that ingest the filters. The filters are 97 percent plastic.

During the International Coastal Cleanup of S.C. beaches and estuaries in 2005, volunteers picked up nearly 29,000 cigarette butts and more than 2,000 cigar tips.

If you are caught smoking by police on Surfside Beach after September first you can expect a warning, after that, a $100 fine.

Some smoking and civil liberty advocates are feeling put out by the town’s decision.