Should Walton County Ban Smoking On The Beach?

[Jim Tucker]

On Tuesday, January 17, 2023, the Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners passed a no smoking ban that will prohibit smoking and vaping within all County-owned public parks and public beaches.

The smoking ban is made possible by Chapter 2022-213, a law signed by Governor DeSantis on June 24, 2022, which amended the Florida Clean Air Act to allow counties and municipalities to restrict smoking in public beaches and parks they own.

Several other counties and cities in Florida have already enacted ordinances banning smoking in their public parks or beaches, including Fort Walton Beach, Panama City Beach and Pensacola.

According to Deputy County Administrator Craig Coffey, the main complaints the county receives are about smoking debris rather than actual smoking. Coffey says that smoking debris, including plastic vaping cartridges, is found at all of the county’s parks and beaches, and is particularly prevalent on the beaches.

During the most recent International Beach Cleanup Day in September, volunteers collected 8,000 cigarette butts from 6 area beaches.

In response to this issue, an ordinance amendment to Section 16-43 does the following:

(c) Smoking and vaping prohibited within County-owned public parks and public beaches. It shall be prohibited for any person in or on any County-owned public park or public beach to smoke, burn, ignite, inhale, exhale or consume any cigarette, pipe, lighted tobacco product, electronic cigarette, or vapor producing device other than an unfiltered cigar.

The exception of unfiltered cigars is preempted by the state.

 

[SUP Boarder]

BIG fan of this! But like most county ordinances (especially "beach" ordinances), how strict will be the enforcement (ref: oversized beach tents)?!? I guess implementing an ordinance is a positive step.

 

[Matt J]

I support it.

 

[I Bike 30A]

Anyone that has spent time working on the beach supports this. Especially when you see the amounts of butts left behind, and the time spent cleaning up after those. It’s truly shameful how little smokers care about our beaches.

 

[30A Skunkape]

Yes, but, given that there is already woeful enforcement of existing codes, this would probably be of no real consequence. I don't see the issue with e-cigarettes.

 

[Professor]

No, and I don’t smoke. it’s just another ordinance that the Code Stormtroopers can fine someone for.

If someone wants to look at the Gulf while having a smoke, they should be able to.

 

[AndriaB30A]

On Tuesday, January 17, 2023, the Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners passed a no smoking ban that will prohibit smoking and vaping within all County-owned public parks and public beaches.

The smoking ban is made possible by Chapter 2022-213, a law signed by Governor DeSantis on June 24, 2022, which amended the Florida Clean Air Act to allow counties and municipalities to restrict smoking in public beaches and parks they own.

Several other counties and cities in Florida have already enacted ordinances banning smoking in their public parks or beaches, including Fort Walton Beach, Panama City Beach and Pensacola.

According to Deputy County Administrator Craig Coffey, the main complaints the county receives are about smoking debris rather than actual smoking. Coffey says that smoking debris, including plastic vaping cartridges, is found at all of the county’s parks and beaches, and is particularly prevalent on the beaches.

During the most recent International Beach Cleanup Day in September, volunteers collected 8,000 cigarette butts from 6 area beaches.

In response to this issue, an ordinance amendment to Section 16-43 does the following:

(c) Smoking and vaping prohibited within County-owned public parks and public beaches. It shall be prohibited for any person in or on any County-owned public park or public beach to smoke, burn, ignite, inhale, exhale or consume any cigarette, pipe, lighted tobacco product, electronic cigarette, or vapor producing device other than an unfiltered cigar.

The exception of unfiltered cigars is preempted by the state.

I’ve gone back and forth on my opinion on this. On one hand, it would be nice to not encounter the second hand smells. The reduction of cigarette butts left behind would also be a benefit. However, this will likely push people up by the dunes and boardwalks to smoke and there’s no shortage of butts laying around the parking lots and access entrances as it is. The addition of another common-sense ordinance that is difficult to enforce probably isn’t a real solution. (That’s assuming the real PROBLEM we’re trying to address is the litter as stated)

I have spent time working on the public beaches of Walton County and can attest to the frustration caused by both people smoking within close proximity to others as well as cigarette butts being left behind. (Nobody is intentionally leaving a vape behind) I really don’t understand why vaping is included and why unfiltered cigars are excluded from the Clean Air Act. I’d rather be next to someone vaping than 50 feet away from someone smoking a cigar. It seems to me that the solution to getting people to not smoke/leave cigarette butts behind is to restrict smoking on the beach, but allow vaping as the alternative it was designed to be.

 

[Jimmy T]

I don't mind folks smoking on the beach. My problem is with the folks who litter and throw their butts on the beach. I've picked up hundreds over the years.