TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A Florida lawmaker wants to make your next trip to the beach smoke-free.
Republican state Sen. Joe Gruters, who represents the Sarasota area, filed a measure Wednesday that would make smoking illegal on public beaches in Florida.
The measure proposes police could give out citations to anyone smoking on a public beach.
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People caught smoking would face a fine of as much as $25 or 10 hours of community service.
According to the Washington-based nonprofit group Ocean Conservancy, more than 95,000 cigarette butts were cleaned up from Florida beaches in a single day during a cleanup study in 2017.
Florida’s legislative session for 2019 begins March 5. If passed, the law could go into effect July 1 – just in time for your Fourth of July trip to the beach.
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