ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — Smoking on St. Johns County beaches may soon be a thing of the past for cigarette and vape users, as county officials Tuesday night introduced a newly proposed ordinance that would ban cigarette or vape smoking on county beaches and parks.
“I think that would be really nice because some of us who don’t smoke don’t want to be exposed to it, especially if we have young children with us,” St. Johns County resident Hannah Bailey said Wednesday. “It just makes the experience better and more relaxing overall, too.”
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“People go to the beach so that they can do whatever they want. I mean, if people have a problem with that, then go sit somewhere else,” St. Johns County neighbor Roseanna Spingola said.
St. Johns County commissioners say the proposed ordinance would make the county’s beaches a more welcoming, family-friendly environment.
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“It was actually something that was brought to our attention by some local middle school students,” St. Johns County commissioner Sarah Arnold explained. “So it was children wanting to protect their fellow friends, their fellow kids in school.”
The new ordinance would also expand the definitions of litter to include cigarette butts and vaping paraphernalia, looking to keep the sands of St. Johns beaches and the natural beauty of county parks clean for wildlife and all who enjoy them.
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“It’s a hazard and beyond that, you know, your taxpayer dollars are going towards our staff cleaning those beaches up,” Arnold added. “If this is something that, that we can enforce and this is some that’s going to make it a more enjoyable experience for all the families in St. Johns County, then something I think I can be in favor of.”
The ordinance, however, would not ban pipes or cigars. It’s now set to set to go through a second reading by the city commissioners in two weeks, before a final vote after that.
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