Have you ever had your day at the beach ruined by cigarette smoke? You’re there to breathe in the fresh salt air and you just can’t stop smelling that harsh cigarette smoke wafting in from one of your beach bunny neighbors.

The town of Barnstable, Massachusetts, agrees. (I'm on a clean air kick today.) The Barnstable Recreation Commission decided unanimously to send a request to the Town Manager to ban cigarette smoking on all the town's public beaches by the Summer 2009 season. The principle behind this push is that they want to maintain public beaches as clean and healthy areas, which smoking obviously does not promote.

Image: curran kelleher
I’m happy to say no to cigarette butts between my toes and that stifling stench in my nose, but what do you think? Is this a welcome proposition or an infringement on personal freedom?