Weed smokers on the beach

[summermumma2021]

AIBU to think that it’s selfish to smoke weed on the beach? Especially when it’s a bank holiday and jam packed with families.

We arrived at Barry Island today with our family and sat down. Beach and sea were brilliant and the boys were happily digging in the sand when the tell tale scent became apparent. Right next to us both parents were smoking a joint with both their toddlers sat right there with them. It makes me so sad to see so many people smoking right by their kids…not to mention mine!

As the beach was so rammed we didn’t want to move away from them but we did just take the boys down to the sea only to discover several large groups of teenagers also smoking the strongest smelling weed both in and out of the water.

After several looks from me the man next to us said “she’s not happy” to his partner and I looked at them and said “No, it’s not on. I’m here with my kids and you’re right next to us and loads of families. Do it somewhere else.”

He got up and went and did it somewhere else. It was only later that my husband noticed the guy had an ankle tag on and said thank god he didn’t kick off about it.

Anyway just thought I’d offload and see others thoughts?

Good on you. I hate weed too

Weed smoking is grim
and even worse when it affects other people
honestly - a beach is not your own home but people seem to treat public / communal spaces as such
it has led to deeply anti social behaviour like this (and don’t get me started on listening to music or stuff on phone with no headphones)
YANBU

Yep same here in South Shields. Whole place stank of it. Just vile.

It’s gross isn’t it. The smell just takes over the whole place.

Agreed. It definitely creates the wrong atmosphere doesn’t it and encourages anti social behaviour.

Thanks haha. Unfortunately my face says it all 😂

Definately NBU, as a partaker it doesn't bother me, but I wouldn't smoke in a busy public place and am amazed at the folks brazen enough to do so!

It wouldn't bother me to smell it at the beach, but I know others don't like it and it's antisocial so I just wouldn't for the comfort of others!

Grim behaviour from them, and suggests that they probably do it regularly at home in front of their toddlers. Poor kids.

I appreciate that and you sound considerate of others.
I don’t care what people choose to do in their own home or space but just would like respect of that fact that I’m not choosing to partake in it.
I think the smell only bothered me as much because my kids were literally just across from them.

As I always type in these threads- anyone who is ok with this is complicit in the exploitation and abuse of minors through county lines.
It’s absolutely grim. Good on you for speaking up.

People just don’t care anymore. You smell it absolutely everywhere. Disgusting.

The sooner the better it is legalised and there are places available where people can enjoy a smoke break when they want.
They’ve weed bars in many countries which reduces the amount of people smoking outdoors.
Not all weed smokers were tags, it’s growing in popularity and will be legalised eventually.
The government needs to get on top of the problem, it isn’t going away.

I know right. Made myself and my husband feels so sorry for those kids. It was literally blowing right into their face and I really wanted to just step in and say something about their parenting choice with the passive weed smoking but I didn’t want to make a huge scene and unfortunately it’s not going to make a difference coming from a stranger.

Hopefully someone who knows them or sees them regularly reports their concerns but unfortunately social services don’t seem to have the capacity to provide much safeguarding or support.

I don’t think anyone will be reporting them to social services anytime soon, OP. I live in social housing and everyone - that’s in every single family nearby me, the parents smoke weed around their kids. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen in private housing; but until I moved here I had never experienced it so full on.

🤣🤣 I assume with your username this is trolling. In which case, well played.

Ugh I know it’s so widespread now and the police aren’t really bothered with personal use. I just find it can be very anti social and isn’t a nice environment for kids to be around.

If the odd individual chooses to do that in their own home that’s one thing but when the whole streets doing it that sounds horrible, especially in summer when you’re all out in the garden.

It is horrible, as a non weed-smoking household. You can’t open a window without the stench seeping in. Have plans to move asap!

I think people forget at times it is an illegal substance. I don't care what others do at all but I hate the smell of it.

What did you expect at Barry Island 😂
I'd say something too though... Each to their own but not around kids and not around others like that

Not at all. Fact and fiction are totally different.

I would legalise it and bring in civil penalties for anti-social use.

Nothing against people smoking weed and I agree it should be legally available and taxable etc and managed in the same way alcohol is, but I think it’s wrong to smoke it around kids as their brains are still developing.

I’m intrigued about the anti social behaviour angle though, has the weed changed in recent years? I always felt alcohol was a driver of ASB, whereas weed not so much, eg: never saw someone stoned start a fight so what are the weed smokers doing that’s classified as ASB that’s different from drunk people? Now I’m wondering what they put in the weed now, it’s been many years since I smoked regularly!

They really need to regulate it. It's wild so many people smoke it unrestricted. At the very least there should be zones it's not allowed in like beaches, parks and shopping areas and preferably I'd like some kind of requirement to use a filter if you're smoking it in eg a block of flats.

I get the point you're making generally, but I buy mine from a local hippy couple who grow it in their outhouse (I've seen it).
Like a PP, although I enjoy smoking weed, I would never do what OP is complaining about. First it's illegal and I wouldn't want to get caught, and second it's so wrong to do around children, much worse than drinking due to passive inhalation. I would just about smoke a joint on the beach late at night if there was basically noone else around (and I would take the "butt" with me and chuck it in the bin BTW!)

I think that smoking it per se is anti social, rather than it leading to ASB in the way that, say, drinking or coke do.