Cigarettes: Up in Smoke?

Cigarette

A initiative is under way to create designated smoking areas at Sarasota County's public beaches. This would effectively put most of the coast off limits to nicotine users.

The reason? The county's parks and recreation department says cigarette butts account for one-fifth of all the trash collected on the shoreline.

Officials from the parks department, environmental services and Keep Sarasota County Beautiful will provide an overview of the litter and health issues on the public beaches during two public hearings.

The first will be held tonight at 6 at St. Boniface Episcopal Church, on Midnight Pass Road in Sarasota. The second will be held tomorrow at 6 p.m at the Nokomis Community Center.