Local governments can now ban smoking on beaches
June 20, 2022 - Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed a bill into law allowing local governments to ban smoking on Florida’s public beaches. J.P. Brooker, director of the of Florida Conservation at the Ocean Conservancy, called the bill’s passage a “major victory for the health of our beaches” in a statement. He added that while cigarette butts may be small, they have a harmful and lasting effect on the environment. “Ocean Conservancy research has found cigarette butts to be the fourth most harmful type of plastic to marine life due to ingestion and contamination,” he said. According to the release, cigarette butts have been the most commonly found form of litter on Florida’s beaches during the organization’s annual cleanup day for the past 31 years.