SACRAMENTO –A bill that would ban smoking or disposal of tobacco products at a California state owned or operated beach or park was approved today by the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee on a nine to five vote.
Sen. Marty Block (D-San Diego) said his bill, SB 1333, would help California fulfill its obligation to preserve the state’s environmental treasures. “SB 1333 will make our state parks and beaches cleaner and safer by reducing cigarette and tobacco litter, curtailing exposure to second hand smoke and limiting the threat of park fires.”
Block added that cigarette litter poses a detrimental effect on the environment and wildlife. “Cigarettes are non-biodegradable and contain more than 164 toxic chemicals which create a substantial trash and health issue at beaches and parks” Block said. “They can be ingested by wildlife and fish which leads to the contamination of our oceans and waterways.”
SB 1333 would make it an infraction to dispose used cigarettes or waste in parks or waterways. The ban would also extend to waste from any other weed or plant used as an alternative or supplement to tobacco or nicotine. Electronic and vapor cigarettes are included in the proposed ban.
A maximum fine of $250 is created in the bill for a violation of the law. SB 1333 also requires the Department of Parks and Recreation to post signs notifying park and beach goers of the smoking ban.
Block’s bill is supported by the California State Firefighters Association, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Lung Association in California, the County Health Executives Association of California, the California Optometric Association, the Association of California Healthcare Districts, Sierra Club Sacramento, the Surfrider Foundation and others.
