No-smoking policies and their outcomes on U.S. Beaches

Beach litter is harmful and costly in many ways, and the number one form of litter on U.S. beaches is cigarette butts. Campaigns for smokeless beaches have been based largely on environment and aesthetics, but health and economic factors are also important. Beach tourism is often the most important source of revenue for coastal communities, and surveys have shown that the foremost requirements for beachgoers are clean sand and clean water. The present paper introduces a study of the smoking bans adopted so far on some U.S. beaches.