The Jacksonville Beach City Council on Monday unanimously voted in favor of a smoke-free beach, bringing it in line with other Jacksonville-area beaches that ban smoking.
The ban includes cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, electronic pens, e-cigarettes and any other lighted tobacco or electronic vaping product.
Public comment from residents, health officials and the group Students Working Against Tobacco cited potential hazards of exposure to second-hand smoke and vaper in public spaces.
Violations are punishable by a $50 fine.
The 2022 Florida Clean Air Act gives local governments the ability to create designated smoking zones and fines, enact stricter laws on the disposal of cigarette butts and even an outright ban. Cities and counties previously lacked that authority.
The idea behind prohibiting cigarettes and vaping is to control the smoking, secondhand smoke and litter left behind.
Atlantic Beach was the first in the Duval County region to have smoke-free zones in 2022, followed by Neptune Beach.
Other local smoking ordinances have been enacted for Clearwater Beach, St. Pete Beach, Sarasota, Hernando County, Miami-Dade County, Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Monroe County, St. Augustine, Neptune Beach, Fernandina Beach, Panama City Beach and others sites.
