Smoking, cigarette butts mar Da Nang beaches

Walking along Da Nang’s beaches from Ngu Hanh Son to Son Tra, visitors can easily spot people smoking cigarettes. Some even sit on the sand and smoke pipe tobacco.

“I usually come to the beach in the afternoon to exercise and then go swimming. I’m trying to breathe fresh air, but having to inhale cigarette smoke is unbearable,” said Nguyen Trong Duc, a Da Nang resident.

“The beach is a public place, yet many people still smoke freely in public,” he complained.

Cigarette smoke is not the only nuisance for locals and tourists. Cigarette butts scattered across the white sand also make the beaches look unsightly and untidy.

Cigarette butts can be found scattered across the sand or stuck in it at busy tourist spots, including Sao Bien Beach, the beach at the end of Ho Xuan Huong Street and T20 Beach.

“The sand is so clean and beautiful, yet they still smoke and stub their cigarette butts into it,” Duc said with frustration.

Residents have reported the problem through Da Nang’s public feedback portal.

According to one complaint, numerous cigarette butts have been discarded across the sand at My Khe Beach, affecting the beach’s appearance and environmental cleanliness.

“Smoking in public beach areas not only pollutes the environment and affects air quality, but also detracts from the beautiful image of My Khe Beach in the eyes of residents and tourists,” the resident said.

The resident called on authorities to step up public awareness campaigns, inspections and appropriate management measures, such as designating smoking areas or introducing restrictions on smoking in public places, to ensure a civilized, clean and attractive tourism environment.

After receiving the complaint, the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism assigned the Son Tra Peninsula and Da Nang Tourist Beaches Management Board to inspect the situation and take appropriate action.