Smoking issue at race concerts needs to be addressed

I would like to agree with the Aug. 15 letter from Kelsey Cross: “More needed to stop pot/tobacco smoking at the race concerts.”

After enjoying a smoke-free fair, it was unsettling to see extensive cigarette butt litter at the Del Mar Races by both the paddock and track areas. While the no-smoking Clubhouse, and no-smoking indoor and covered seating areas were litter-free on the day I visited, the designated smoking areas on the asphalt outside were carpeted with cigarette butts. It was ugly and smelly. The only trash cans available were either recycle bins or plastic-lined trash cans, neither of which are appropriate for fuming cigarette butts.

It also broke my heart to see the number of children, including small children and infants in strollers, exposed to second-hand smoke, especially in front of the clubhouse where families tend to gather but is a designated smoking area.

Secondhand smoke can’t be good for horses either and, in fact, research suggests that animals really suffer from smoke exposure.

Wendy Benson