Please sign this petition to prohibit smoking of any kind at public beaches in Chelmsford.  The choice to smoke by a smoker takes away a non-smoker's choice to not-smoke. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020), even second-hand smoke can lead to lung cancer, stroke, and coronary artery disease. Children, who frequent these beaches, are put at risk of respiratory infections, disease of the middle ear, sudden infant death syndrome, worsening of asthma, and lung growth problems.  Approximately 41k deaths occur to adults and 400 infants each year in the U.S. due to second-hand smoke exposure.

There are no safe levels of second-hand smoke. Any level can be potentially deadly (CDC, 2022).  This is particularly true for someone at risk of anaphylaxis due to it, asthmatics, those with heart disease, those with cystic fibrosis, and other very vulnerable people.

Everyone should be able to enjoy these beautiful spaces in town without concerns about their health and well-being. Being smoke-free makes the beaches more accessible and is better for the health of all.

References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, September 14). General information about secondhand smoke. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/secondhand-smoke/about.html#:~:text=There%20is%20no%20safe%20level,health%20problems%20and%20be%20deadly.&text=Completely%20eliminating%20smoking%20is%20the,smoke%20from%20secondhand%20smoke%20exposure

 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, April 28). Health effects. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/health_effects/index.htm