Victoria smokers may have to butt out on beaches and in parks

Victoria smokers may soon be butting out on City beaches and parks.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Richard Stanwick made a presentation at a Governance and Priorities Committee on August 27 suggesting just that.

"It's really about protecting kids from second-hand smoke," says Councilor Chris Coleman. "People forget that when people throw their butts on the beach, it is a toxic pollutant that's there and some of the time it is just left burning so little kids and pets, particularly little dogs, do run some risk of getting burned."

Stanwick also alerted Councilors to the growing trend of hookah pipe usage and the fire risk it poses especially in open areas like parks.

"It increases the second-hand smoke component but it also creates a fire issue," says Coleman, who sited an apartment fire a couple years ago in Victoria that resulted from a hookah pipe.

Coleman says Stanwick hopes to go to the CRD to start the discussion about finding an approach to solve the problem.