ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The St. Johns County Board of Commissioners is proposing a smoking and vaping ban on county beaches and in parks.
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St. Johns County is considering a new ordinance that would ban smoking and vaping on all county beaches and parks. The county board held the first reading of the proposal on Tuesday and it has not yet been adopted.
The ordinance proposes prohibiting smoking and vaping within 600 feet of the Atlantic Ocean shoreline and throughout county park properties. It also expands the definition of litter to include cigarette butts and vaping paraphernalia, citing concerns about potential environmental harm.
This effort follows a 2022 Florida law that allows counties to restrict smoking in outdoor public spaces. Local students and educators recently advocated for the ban during a county board meeting, highlighting the dangers of secondhand smoke and environmental damage from tobacco waste.
Izzy Howell, an 8th-grade student, talked at a hearing in August about when she was at a lifeguard camp with her friends and saw a vape pen next to them.
“We thought the right thing to do was pick it up and throw it away,” Howell said.
Charlie Clay, a 7th-grade student, said people are not properly discarding their vape pens.
“In this way, vaping does not just affect them; it affects the community around,” Clay said.
The ordinance cites a 2006 U.S. Surgeon General’s report on the health risks of secondhand smoke, including heart disease and respiratory problems, especially in children. It also references research from the Ocean Conservancy showing cigarette butts as a major harmful litter to marine life.
Ron Christensen, a beachgoer, said that there are some pros and cons to a potential ban.
“Doing that around younger kids and things like that, I wouldn’t approve of,” Christensen said.
Torin Klunder, another beachgoer, said he doesn’t care what happens.
“It doesn’t bother me, I don’t smoke, I don’t vape, but if that’s what they want to do, why should I stop?” Klunder said. “I mean if it’s not bothering anybody, there’s enough room on the beach, they don’t have to be right on top of people.”
Christensen said it’s something he really didn’t think about as a smoker.
“Well, I have to admit, we smoked on the beach and we put our butts out on the beach and didn’t think twice about it until I got older and then you realize that you’re actually littering,” he said.
The county board has held public hearings on the proposal, emphasizing the goal of improving health outcomes and keeping beaches and parks clean. If passed, the ordinance will become part of the county’s existing Parks Ordinance and Beach Code.
Jacksonville Beach City Council passed a similar ordinance back in May.
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