California says no to smoking in beaches & state parks

Smokers will have to butt out before heading to California’s beaches and state parks in the New Year, following the passing of a new law last week.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill on Friday (Oct. 11), banning cigarettes, cigars, pipes and e-cigarettes from beaches and state parks effective Jan. 1, 2020, citing the negative impact of second-hand smoke on health and the potential for environmental damage, including littering and forest fires. If caught, violators will face a $25 fine.

The law will apply to 300 miles of state beaches and 280 state parks and will allow smoking in parking lots and on paved roads. Previous efforts to ban smoking in these areas were vetoed by former California Governors Jerry Brown and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The new law is the latest initiative in California to crack down on smoking: in June, the city of Beverly Hills passed a law that would prohibit the sale of tobacco within city limits as of Jan. 1, 2021. It's believed to be the first law of its kind in the U.S.

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