ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The St. Johns County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on Tuesday to ban smoking and vaping on county beaches and in parks.
The vote to amend two existing ordinances means smoking and vaping are now banned within 600 feet of the Atlantic Ocean shoreline and throughout county park properties. It also expands the definition of litter to include cigarette butts and vaping paraphernalia, citing concerns about potential environmental harm.
Recommended Videos
Local students and educators recently advocated for the ban during a county board meeting, highlighting the dangers of secondhand smoke and environmental damage from tobacco waste.
Izzy Howell, an 8th-grade student, talked at a hearing in August about when she was at a lifeguard camp with her friends and saw a vape pen next to them.
“We thought the right thing to do was pick it up and throw it away,” Howell said.
Charlie Clay, a 7th-grade student, said people are not properly discarding their vape pens.
“In this way, vaping does not just affect them; it affects the community around,” Clay said.
RELATED | St. Johns County commissioners propose smoking, vaping ban in beaches, parks
The amended ordinances do not prohibit cigars, as Florida law restricts local governments from banning “unfiltered cigars.”
Violations are subject to enforcement under the county’s existing public conduct and littering regulations, which include a fine of $53.