A ban on cigarette smoking and vaping could soon be on the way to tourist-friendly Fort Lauderdale.
The ban would apply only to the sandy part of the beach and city parks under a proposal coming before the City Commission on Thursday night.
Stogie fans need not worry. Unfiltered cigars are not covered by the ban.
But lighting up a cigarette on the beach or a park could bring a fine up to $500 and/or 60 days in jail if the plan wins approval.
Commissioners plan to take their first vote on the ban Thursday. The new law would not kick in until after a second vote, likely before the end of the year.
Bev Yanowitch, a local weary of dodging cigarette smoke, hailed the proposed ban.
“It’s the best decision they could make,” she said. “It’s been banned in front of office buildings. Why should it be allowed at the beach? I don’t come to the beach to inhale smoke.”
Fort Lauderdale and other coastal cities have wanted to ban smoking at the beach for years, but were blocked from doing so by a state law that gave that power to Florida legislators alone. Cities throughout the Sunshine State can now make that call on their own thanks to a change in state law that took effect on July 1.
Supporters of the ban argue that cigarette butts wind up in the sand and sea, polluting both with toxic chemicals that can harm wildlife and contaminate waterways.
Fort Lauderdale officials also cite the fact that smoking is a known health hazard, with secondhand smoke causing cancer in people who’ve never even picked up a cigarette.
Miami Beach was one of the first cities to enact a smoking ban at the beach and in city parks. Commissioners approved the ban last week, but it won’t take effect until January to give the city time to spread the word.
In Miami Beach, violators would face a $100 fine or up to 60 days in jail.
In Monroe County, commissioners have banned smoking at county-owned beaches and parks, also warning of a $100 fine. The ban, approved in August, does not apply to Key West and other city-owned beaches.
Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Steve Glassman says he doesn’t expect the proposed ban to stir up much controversy.
“This should not be a surprise to anyone,” he said. “You’ve seen the data on what we clean up in terms of cigarette butts and filters.”
Every two weeks, cleanup crews collect up to 10,000 cigarette butts from a section of beach along Las Olas that is only one-third of a mile long. The cleanup costs the city’s taxpayers more than $30,000 a year.
The ban is likely to be a hit with non-smokers, though some are wondering who’s going to enforce the ban.
“Nobody likes to sit downwind from the smoker,” said longtime beach resident John Burns, president of the Venetian Condo Association. “But I am concerned about how they enforce it. It’s like drinking on the beach. You’re not supposed to drink on the beach but people drink on the beach. How do you enforce it?”
The job would likely fall to police, though lifeguards could also do their part alerting officers about people who refuse to comply, Glassman said.
“I’m sure the lifeguards would be the eyes and ears,” he said. “They’ll be right there.”
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com or on Twitter @Susannah_Bryan
