NC town to ban smoking on beaches

 A North Carolina town is moving forward with what would be the state's first ban on smoking at a beach.

Town leaders in Wrightsville Beach unanimously voted Thursday to hold a referendum on the November ballot. The action came after more than two years of consideration and a recent 230-person petition to the city's board of aldermen.

The ordinance bans smoking in the sand, but not in the town. Local leaders say the ban will only affect a small strip of city owned land and would not extend to state-owned beaches.

If the ban passes, beach smokers could be fined $250.

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It's a pitiful start, but it's a start.

Smoking should be banned period.