The District of Squamish needs to crack down on smokers polluting the community, says a Squamish resident.
Gord Gunner is sick of finding cigarette butts on the ground when he's out fishing or walking around downtown. Based on the amount of cigarette-related litter he sees, Gunner said he isn't sure the district is taking its own smoking bylaw seriously.
In 2008, the district banned smoking from its parks, trails and facilities. Fines for violating the rules range from $150 to $1,000.
"I am sick and tired of there not being any enforcement," Gunner said. "If they are not going to enforce the smoking bylaw, then why do we have it?"
A smoker himself eight years ago, Gunner said he feels the public has a casual reaction to those stomping out cigarettes on the ground. He said he thinks they should react the same way they would if they saw people discarding other types of litter.
In 2008, cigarette butts accounted for one in every five items collected during North American beach cleanups, making it the most prevalent form of litter on the planet, according to the environmental organization the Ocean Conservancy. Cigarette butts are made of a plastic known as cellulose acetate, which can take two to 25 years to decompose.
It doesn't matter whether the butts are found on Cleveland Avenue or Nexen Beach - it has got to stop, Gunner said.
"It shouldn't be socially accepted," he said. "I am tired of it."
The district introduced its bylaw to promote a smoke-free environment when it was approached by the Vancouver Coastal Health, DOS spokesperson Christie Smith said. Since the bylaws were put in place, the district has written up several notices of violation, mostly to businesses that allowed smoking inside or didn't post the proper "No smoking" signage, she said. No fines were issued as all companies warned achieved compliance, Smith said.
Some warnings have been handed out to individuals, Smith added. The district aims to use a more pro-active model rather than one based on punishment, she noted.
"We want to educating the community about the important of the bylaws," Smith said.
