ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Pete and Pinellas County-owned beaches could soon be smoke-free thanks to a law that was passed earlier this year.
State lawmakers passed the law that, starting on July 1, cities and counties have the authority to ban smoking on beaches.
RELATED:
- St. Pete considers smoking ban at city parks and beaches
- Pinellas Commissioners consider beach smoking ban in September for three county-owned beaches
- Governor Desantis to sign law to ban smoking on Florida beaches
Ocean Conservancy President J.P. Brooker said cigarette butts have been the number one litter item found on Florida beaches for decades.
"Cigarette butts are fundamentally a little bundle of plastic, and that plastic can break down in the environment," Brooker said. "Once we have microplastics in the environment, that can accumulate in fish, in wildlife, and it can accumulate in people that consume fish and water that is tainted with this microplastic."
Pinellas County is also discussing a smoking ban on three county-owned beaches: Fort De Soto, Sand Key and Fred Howard Park. Their proposal only targets the beach and dune area specifically and does not pertain to parks or parking lots.
If the smoking ban ordinance is passed in St. Pete, it will go into effect on Jan. 1, and violators will be fined for smoking in city parks and on city beaches.
Both the city and county plan to further discuss the ordinances in the coming weeks.
