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How effective is Oahu's smoking ban?

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The new year is a time for resolutions and some may want to give up smoking. It is something Oahu started banning at beaches and parks a year ago. But how is that law working out?

Click here to watch Paul Drewes's report.

Even with cooler winter temperatures, many still spent their Sunday at Ala Moana Beach Park. While there may be a little chill in the air, there is also less smoke.

"Before when we would come to the beach we would find a lot of littering and older people smoking with the kids running around. Second-hand smoking is not good. The air wasn't as clean," said Aiea resident Sheri Nii.

Now that a smoking ban has been around for a year, Nii and others are breathing a sign of relief.

"It helps that they put the ban on. The air is a lot cleaner," said Nii.

Not only is the air cleaner, so are picnic areas and beaches.

"I've seen a big difference in the amount of cigarette butts on the beach, sidewalks and on the coastlines," said Kahi Pacarro, with Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii.

How bad were things before?

"On Maui we did a cigarette butt sweep of the entire island and in two hours we found 14,000 cigarette butts," said Pacarro.

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How effective is Oahu's smoking ban?

Kozhikode beaches not spared of garbage

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With night surveillance of the coastline on the decline, beaches in the city are fast turning into a waste dump. Festivals make the situation worse, with waste safely dumped under the cover of darkness.

On Saturday, plastic and food waste was found dumped on the beach adjacent to the Gandhi Road junction. The cleaning staff of the city Corporation also seemed to give the beach a miss.

Street vendors along the main beach say waste is mostly brought here from venues of private parties and social gatherings. Food and other waste from wedding celebrations too are dumped in the sea, they say.

Night vigil on the beach is insufficient to dissuade anti-social elements. Only two or three security personnel are posted to guard several kilometres of the coastline.

Rajeesh V.T, an employee of a hotel on the beachside, says some groups of people bring large quantities of food and have it on the beach, but leave bundles of waste behind. We have come across instances wherein beachgoers have warned such groups and asked them to take back the waste, he says.

Sameer Ahmed and K.V. Faisal, who regularly frequent the city beaches, say even a small quantity of waste thrown by visitors can spoil the beaches as hundreds of people come there every day. The cleaning workers of the Corporation are finding it difficult to collect the garbage daily as the quantity is on the increase, they say.

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Kozhikode beaches not spared of garbage

Lena’s Art Diary: Girls on a train! California, LA, Freezing beaches, Tiny Mountain Towns – Video

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Lena #39;s Art Diary: Girls on a train! California, LA, Freezing beaches, Tiny Mountain Towns
My new art diary video series! Thanks for watching! 🙂 Follow me on Instagram: LenaDanya Subscribe to my friend: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheRealStreetLight Art Store: http://lenadanyastore...

By: Lena Danya

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Lena's Art Diary: Girls on a train! California, LA, Freezing beaches, Tiny Mountain Towns - Video

How To Set Up Turtle Beaches WITHOUT Having AV Cables Plugged In – Video

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How To Set Up Turtle Beaches WITHOUT Having AV Cables Plugged In
This is just a quick tutorial on how to set up your Turtle Beaches without actually having your AV Cables plugged into anything! I hope this video helps you guys, and make sure to let me know...

By: White Knuckle Gaming

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How To Set Up Turtle Beaches WITHOUT Having AV Cables Plugged In - Video

Health24.com | Stink over Cape beach safety lingers

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Updated 02 January 2015 A red flag has been raised over the safety of beaches in the Cape Peninsula, following a report of E. coli - fecal bacteria - in the waters of Clifton Fourth Beach.

The big stink about E. coli - fecal bacteria - in the waters of Clifton Fourth Beach in Cape Town is casting doubt on the safety of beaches in the Cape Peninsula. As throngs of people flock to the shores to spend some time in the sun and sea, Professor Edda Weimann, a medical doctor and public health specialist of the University of Cape Town, told Health24 that real-time monitoring of water quality is crucial. "There have been several E. coli cases in the past months in the Cape that cannot and should not be ignored." "Most of the beaches around the Cape Peninsula are not yet sufficiently monitored," she said. Weimann published a study last year that found an elevated E. coli count at Clifton Fourth Beach, which has Blue Flag status - an international label for beaches with excellent safety and cleanliness. She tested the seawater off Clifton in February and March in 2013 and said that E. coli was always present in the tested water with varying amounts.

What is E. coli or Escherichia coli? E. coli is a germ found in the intestines of humans and animals and can cause infectious diseases, explained Weimann. It is a well established marker for wastewater pollution and used worldwide. She added that foam and yellowish colouring of sand is associated with highly elevated E. coli counts.

The City of Cape Town in a statement last week dismissed cause for alarm, saying the study by Weimann was outdated.

Mayoral committee member for health, Benedicta Van Minnen reiterated this to Health24 on Friday. "Cape Towns bathing spots are safe for swimming. ... The study referred to was conducted nearly two years ago, so the information is out of date."

No reported E.coli concerns

She also confirmed that she was not aware of any concerns reported to the City relating to E. coli. "If problems arise, as they do in beaches around the world, we will act immediately as we have done in the past," said Van Minnen. "One cannot state that a beach is safe when no daily monitoring is provided, especially in the light of wastewater pollution and river contaminations. Due to currents and wind, water quality might change rapidly," Weimann told Health24 on Friday. "Also the Vleis are contaminated, bathing is generally forbidden there, even sailing was prohibited over some weeks." Weimann also raised concern about the safety of the E. coli count. "There is an ongoing debate if the cut-off level of 100/100 ml E. coli is safe, considering that we are an immune compromised population with over 5 Million people living with HIV. There are even recommendations to close a beach if the E. coli level exceeds 250/100 ml. The new Guidelines of Environmental Affairs for safe recreational use which have not been legislated yet, looks at long time periods with E. coli levels over 500/100 ml." What can be done? Establishing real time monitoring of water quality is important, suggested Weimann. She also called for the implementation of wastewater plants that offer biological and chemical treatment around the Cape Peninsula and South Africa because it affects all living creatures in the oceans. Weimann noted that waste water is regularly pumped offshore and led into the ocean without biological treatment. In her report she wrote that coastal water around the Cape Peninsula is affected by polluted rivers that flow into the ocean. Although waste water into the ocean is filtered only for particles, E.coli and all other germs,as well as chemical substances are not removed. This is especially a concern as swimmers and surfers swallow significant amounts of water. "Adult swimmers are prone to ingest 10-100 ml seawater, while children probably ingest larger quantities of water," the report stated.

Testing the waters The City of Cape Town assured that it tests the quality of coastal water every second week, pointing out that there are very strict testing guidelines.

It said sample sites have been established along the False Bay and Atlantic coastlines and are determined by popular bathing beaches and the vicinity of stormwater discharges and river mouths to determine the impact these have on seawater quality.

"All results are corroborated by accredited laboratories", said Van Minnen.

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Health24.com | Stink over Cape beach safety lingers

Children Missing From Cape Town Beaches On New Year's Day Reunited With Families, 70 Still Unclaimed

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More than 70 children of the over 500, who went missing on beaches of Cape Town, South Africa, on New Years day, still remain unclaimed, a city official said Friday, according to media reports. On Thursday,hundreds of childrenwere separated from their parents on beaches as thousands of people gathered for celebrations.

Over 30,000 people were reportedly present on the beaches of Monwabisi, Strandfontein, Muizenberg, and Strand, and more than 1,000 police officers were on duty on Thursday. Officials reportedly said that they managed to reunite more than 400 children -- mostly below the age of seven -- with their families. Some of the children, who went missing, were as young as three, local media reports said.

Police will have to try to figure out where those parents are. In Strand alone we handed over 35 children to the police. This is a result of parents who are not paying attention to the whereabouts of their children, an official reportedly said.

The unclaimed children were taken to the citys police stations, where they had to spend the night, The Los Angeles Times reported. Authorities are reportedly making efforts to get details about the families of these children.

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Children Missing From Cape Town Beaches On New Year's Day Reunited With Families, 70 Still Unclaimed


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