Ban the Butt Blog

Individual Action Matters – What Can You Do To Make a Real Difference?

How you can help Save Our Shores’ campaign to Ban the Butt!

By Chris Whitaker

I saw a cool wooden sign hanging above the door on a house in our neighborhood that said “Beach your children well”. It brought a smile to my face as memories of good times at Seabright Beach with my two kids came to mind. It’s a fun play on the saying “Teach your children well”. 

I believe the single most important thing my wife and I have a responsibility to do is raise good people. To teach them well. There’s a few good lessons on a trip to the beach. Be prepared – do you have the right clothes, perhaps a sweatshirt in case it gets windy? Do you have some water or a snack? A blanket to sit on? What do they learn while at the beach? I’d say they can learn a lot. One lesson, that’s really sad, is a lesson about how our environment and the ocean are often treated by humans.

Graph shows Top 5 Trash Items Collected in 2024: Plastic Pieces 38,284, Cigarette Butts 24,425, Plastic Food Wrappers 16,888, Paper Pieces 16,205, Other Misc. Waste 7,403.

Cigarette Butts remain the single most identifiable item collected on beaches around Monterey Bay. Imagine a small child digging in the sand, building their first of many sand castles, and they find not just one but many cigarette butts. What goes through their young minds? What does that teach them about people? About the society that we live in. The things we believe are important. Cigarette butts are a hideous form of pollution. Far worse than most people know. 

So do we just sit back and accept it as a problem that can’t be addressed or do we come together and act?

That’s why I attended the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors meeting last year when Save Our Shores put out a call to action. This was the clear way to work for positive change within our system of governance. I hadn’t planned to speak. I would show my support just by being there. Then, things changed. I listened as opponents of the Ban the Butt initiative spoke to the Board. Although their arguments sounded like Big Tobacco rhetoric to me, I realized that the Board might not vote to support the ban. I started to think about all the work many volunteers had done to get to this point. I thought about my kids. I thought about other people’s kids. I thought about the birds at the beach and the fish in the ocean. I started to feel sad, that despite the obvious benefit of the ban, we might not have the support needed to move in the right direction.

I grabbed a speaker card and filled it out not knowing what I’d say. I sat there in the third row and marveled at how our system of government worked. It was impressive and I felt lucky to live in a country/state/city where we have the right to be part of our governance. I found a deep respect for the difficulty of the job the Supervisors have. I felt empathy for them. As I listened to the proponents of the ban speak, I felt admiration for them. Here they were, fighting for the environment. Up against the deep pockets of Big Tobacco and societal norms. Up against a system that resists change even when it is so obviously for good. My turn to speak was fast approaching.

Thinking back, I can’t recall exactly what I said. I remember introducing myself and then talking about being a parent of two kids who had spent a lot of time at Seabright Beach. I didn’t want to repeat what other pro Ban the Butt speakers had said even though I agreed with them and supported their points.

Looking at the panel of Supervisors, I thought about who they were, what their constituents cared about, how they would “defend” making the right decision on the ban. I realized that it would take courage. I thought to myself, what is courage in this context? Courage is sticking up for what you believe in. And there I had it, that’s what I would say. That’s what I would ask them to draw upon.

After thanking them for their public service, I said, “What is the definition of courage? It’s standing up for what you believe in. Today, you have the chance to be courageous. To do the right thing for our community, for our children and for our environment.”

As the board deliberated and discussed the proposed ban I once again was impressed by their character and their thoughtfulness on this issue. I realized that we might not get the votes needed to move forward with the proposed ban. I was nervous. I thought of the other volunteers who had worked so hard and how disappointed they would be if we didn’t get the votes needed. Then they voted. As the vote proceeded, I felt anxious. When the votes came in and the board passed the resolution to Ban the Butt, I felt so much joy. So much hope. I wanted to run over to the other volunteers and hug them tight.

As a parent, you think about the world your children will live in as they grow older and the world of their children and their children’s children. Obviously there’s a lot to consider. One of the things I think about most is the environment.  What will the environment be like? Will the air be clean and safe to breathe? Will the water be clean and safe to drink? Will the ocean be healthy? Will there be open spaces for them to enjoy in nature? What will “nature” look like? Will there be healthy plants and animals? What will a day at the beach be like?

Protecting the environment is the right thing to do. Spending time in nature is good for our mental health. And if we do not take care of the planet, its climate and ecosystems, we undermine how our societies function, worsen our lives and, perhaps most directly, harm our own well-being.

So what’s next?

We won the vote in Unincorporated Santa Cruz County, but we need to connect the dots in order for this to matter.

The Santa Cruz City Council will vote on this ordinance June 10th! We need your voices to make this a win.

1. Give public comment at the vote on June 10th – RSVP and find more details here.
2. Send letters/emails to city council expressing support for a ban on the sale of filtered tobacco products before May 31st. (see Suggested Letter/Email Content)
   • Address to: Santa Cruz City Council Members809 Center Street, Room 10, Santa Cruz, CA 95060Email: citycouncil@santacruzca.gov
3. Call: 831-420-5020
4. Save Our Shores Sign on letter
5. City of Santa Cruz Tobacco Product Waste Survey

The Capitola City Council will put this ordinance to a vote this summer. 

1. Send personalized letters/emails to city council expressing support for a ban on the sale of filtered tobacco products. (see Suggested Letter/Email Content)
   • Address to: Capitola City Council Members
     420 Capitola Ave, Capitola, CA 95010
     Email Council: citycouncil@ci.capitola.ca.us
2. Call: 831-475-7300
3. Save Our Shores Sign on letter

Chris Whitaker has been a Sanctuary Steward with Save Our Shores since the beginning of 2024. He spends much of his time volunteering with marine conservation organizations, educating and engaging the public with local issues.