Infected ticks and fleas can hitch a ride on a cat or dog from the forest, and prairie dogs at times have proven to carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever and bubonic plague, with the latter prevalent here in Southwest Colorado. These diseased and life-threatening ticks and fleas easily can be transferred from a reusable bag that your pet pounces on in your vehicle to the food checkout counter, thus infecting our food supply and supermarket carriers.

New plastic bags are sterile as possible from their heated manufacturing process. I disagree with Dick White’s past comment at a meeting that plastic bags never go away. Plastic bags are extremely thin. Our altitude and enhanced UV rays disintegrate the plastic in a short time.

Other locations do not have the same safety concerns as we do here in Durango. This subject is not about planetary issues, but a local public safety and health concern that trumps all. Reusable bags should be banned.

Tom Parker

Durango