SMOKERS and vapers caught flouting a tough new beach ban risk being slapped with a huge fine of $250.
But opponents of the “freedom” crackdown say authorities should instead target drunk beachgoers.
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The City of Jacksonville Beach voted unanimously last night to ban smoking and vaping on the sand at Jax Beach in Florida.
But, in a bizarre twist, the smoking ban “does not include the use of unfiltered cigars.”
The unfiltered cigar exception has led some opponents on social media to accuse the city of protecting the freedoms of “fat cat boomers, making things only comfortable for them.”
Any person found guilty of violating the anti-smoking/vaping rule “shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by being charged a fine not to exceed $50,” the city said.
And, “any person who wilfully refuses to accept and sign a citation shall be assessed an additional $200 fine” – bumping the potential penalty up to $250.
The hefty fine has received the thumbs-up from some supporters, who said it was “the best thing to ever happen to Jacksonville beach.”
One person said on Facebook, “My Girl Scout troop went to do a beach cleanup a month or so ago.
“We picked up over 60 cigarette butts out of the sand in just 20 mins.
“People treat the beach like it’s an ash tray! So hopefully this may help deter that a little bit.”
Another wrote, “The last time I went to Jax beach I [dug] down in the sand; nothing but cigarette butts – it was really bad.”
And one person warned of the pollution problem as, “cigarette butts are made of plastic, not cotton. Every butt left behind leaves plastics that will never break down.”
A fellow supporter wrote, “Thrilled about this! The trash left behind goes into our waters and harms our wildlife.
“Not to mention the smell. Looking forward to seeing the immature idiots lose their minds while getting a citation.”
People treat the beach like it’s an ash tray
But one opponent countered, “Another freedom lost because a couple people decided they wanted it gone.
“A lot of freedoms are lost under the guises of health and security.
“On a side note, why does government get the fine money collected? They weren’t harmed in anyway.
“Be afraid when the ones that make the rules are the ones that benefit when they are broken.”
What has the City of Jacksonville Beach banned?
The City of Jacksonville Beach has voted to ban smoking on the sand at Jax Beach. It has also prohibited…
- Nudity is banned – appropriate attire and body coverings must be worn
- No glass
- No camping or sleeping from sunset to sunrise without permission from the city manager
- No swimming or bathing except during designated hours
- No illegal drugs, alcoholic beverages or unpermitted weapons
- No open fires, campfires, grills, or other cooking or heating devices
- No fireworks
- No smoking. Smoking means inhaling, exhaling, burning, carrying, or possessing any lit tobacco product, including cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, and any other lighted tobacco product; smoking does not include the use of unfiltered cigars
- No pet poo is allowed on the beach
- Human waste is also banned
Another resident warned that it was merely a “distraction against [tackling] crime.”
One woman refused to quit her habit, saying, “Think I’m going to refrain from vaping on the beach?
“Are they going to ban people who smoke weed nonstop? Or what about the drunk people on the beach? This is absolutely ridiculous.”
The city said that it created an ordinance to “prohibit smoking on the beach to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke, assure cleaner and more hygienic beaches for the city’s residents and visitors, and for animals in the environment.”
HEALTH WARNING
It added, “Secondhand smoke is especially dangerous to children whose bodies are still developing and who are particularly vulnerable to the poisons of secondhand smoke.
“Prohibiting smoking on City beaches frequented by children and adults will help to reduce smoking-related illnesses and serve to improve health outcomes for residents and visitors to Jacksonville Beach
“Another significant issue with tobacco smoking on City beaches is litter consisting of used cigarette filters, also known as ‘cigarette butts’, which contain hazardous substances that can be toxic to animals.
“Smoking is already prohibited in City parks.”
The exception for smoking unfiltered cigars stems from a bill passed by state lawmakers three years ago.
This allowed local governments to ban smoking in public places, but included an exemption for cigars.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill allowing local governments to restrict smoking on public Florida beaches and parks in 2022.
More than eight million people visited Jacksonville last year, boosting the local economy by more than $7 billion, reported News4Jax.