Banning Smoking in Beaches and Parks Bill Released from Asm Comm

Banning Smoking in Beaches and Parks Bill Released from Asm Comm

The Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee released a bill that prohibits smoking in public beaches and parks. A893 (Vainieri Huttle) extends the New Jersey Smoke Free Air Act which generally prohibits smoking in indoor public places and workplaces by adding public parks and beaches. The Governor has vetoed this legislation in the past.

“This bill would improve the health of the people of New Jersey by prohibiting smoking in public parks and beaches. This legislation will not only help us all breathe easier but it will also help to protect parks and beaches from damages and fires caused by careless smokers. This will go a long way to prevent litter in our parks and state beaches. We believe banning smoking in public parks and beaches is an important step forward for the environment and our health,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

Cigarettes are an environmental problem. They can be ingested by animals and marine life or even children playing in the sand or at the park. Cigarette butts have been found in stomachs of animals like whales, sea turtles, and birds, which could lead to death. An article published in Current Environmental Health Reports, a scientific journal, found that around 4.5 to 6 trillion cigarettes worldwide do not end up in ashtrays instead littering our streets and beaches. Cigarettes contain toxins like nicotine and pesticides in their plastic fibers further harming the environment.

“Banning cigarettes on our beaches and in our parks is a no brainer. Every year at our annual beach cleanup volunteers pick up tons of cigarettes on one beach, in just two hours. Cigarettes not only pose a risk to human health, but cause harm to our environment and animals. That is why we need a statewide ban. I urge the Legislature to pass Assemblywoman Vainieri Huttle’s legislation and protect New Jersey’s beaches and parks by banning the butt,” said Jeff Tittel.

It also could be dangerous with some people failing to completely put out their cigarette butts. People or animals could step on these and burn themselves. Cigarettes could also potentially lead to boardwalk or forest fires. If butts are not fully extinguished, anything from a picnic table to a boardwalk or even dry vegetation could go up in flames.

“Cigarettes have caused forest fires in the past and by allowing smoking in our parks we are putting them at risk for destruction. They could damage picnic areas or historic buildings. They could also set areas of beaches on fire, including picnic tables or boardwalks. The Jersey shore has had enough damage, we don’t need the added risk of a cigarette burning boardwalks down,” said Jeff Tittel.

Smoking is not only an environmental issue, but a health issue as well. Even when you set aside a smoking area on the beach it affects the people next to it and affects other people. People enjoying a day on the beach or at the park have to deal with second hand smoke. Towns have already put in place laws and ordinances dealing with smoking including Seaside Park which smoking is banned on all beaches and boardwalks. Long Branch and Sunset Beach in Cape May County are also smoke free. Smoking is banned on the boardwalk in Belmar, and on sections of its beaches. A stateside ban will benefit our environment, tourism, and public health.

“Having smoke free beaches and parks would encourage tourism, while protecting both our health and the environment. Cigarettes are a major source of litter and pollution, while also being a threat to public safety. A complete ban will not only benefit public health, but our environment. We are spending all this money rebuilding our beaches and now we should not turn them into ashtrays,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “We hope that this time around we can get this bill passed into law to better enhance the lives of the people of New Jersey and protect our environment and tourism.”