The beach is one of the places in New Jersey where smokes are still given the liberty to smoke following the state's adoption of the Smoke-Free Air Act in 2006 that prohibits smoking in nearly all indoor places including restaurants, bars and hospitals statewide.
Not everyone is comfortable having smokers puff their smoke in public beaches particularly those with children, who are vulnerable to the unwanted side effects of secondhand smoke.
Jane Horton, from Wall Township, has expressed her displeasure whenever somebody near her on the beach starts to light up a cigarette. She complained that the wind carries the smoke into her face. Horton may still have to put up with smokers in public beaches this summer but things would be different next beach season if a bill passed by the state's legislature that proposed of prohibiting smoking on beaches, gets the nod of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
Once the bill gets the approval of the governor, smokers can no longer light up cigarettes in nearly all of New Jersey's municipal, county and state beaches by next summer. Lawmakers have initially proposed a total ban of smoking in all of New Jersey's public beaches but later on added a provision that would allow towns to designate 15 percent of their beaches as smoking area. The bill, an expansion of the New Jersey Smoke-Free Air Act, will also affect smoking in state parks and will take effect 180 days after it is signed by Gov. Christie.
Besides reducing people's exposure to second hand smoke, which is associated with increased risks for developing cancer, heart disease and respiratory infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis, the bill also aims to reduce litter and promote fire safety. Those who violate the smoking ban would be fined no less than $250 on their first offense, which could go up to $1,000 for subsequent violations.
"It resonates that New Jersey continues to be a leader when it comes to tobacco control policy and initiatives that protect children," said New Jersey Global Advisors on Smokefree Policy, or GASP, executive director Karen Blumenfeld. "This would be another step that would continue to keep New Jersey in the forefront on emerging issues of tobacco control."
Not everyone is pleased with the proposal though, especially smokers.
"I think it's silly. You have designated areas and you smoke in those areas, they are well signed. You don't want to be around smoking? Walk on the other side of the boardwalk," said Heather Stefan who said that a complete ban is an infringement of the rights of smokers.
