By: John Michael Pierobon
Just over a year ago, the Orlando Sentinel published an excellent editorial entitled "It's time to clear the smoke from Florida's beaches." The point of the article was to debunk the nanny state argument against tobacco regulation, and in favor of clean beaches and the freedom to breathe clean air. The Florida Legislature failed to pass the legislation last year.
Identical bills to last year have now been introduced. These bills will give our communities the choice to make our beaches and parks smoke-free. The Florida Legislature should enact HB 105 and SB 224 without delay because they are what the people want. In a statewide poll of likely Florida voters, the overwhelming majority want to prohibit the use of cigarettes and other tobacco products on beaches and in state parks.
Martin County and Gilchrist County have passed resolutions asking the Florida Legislature to repeal the preemption on regulating secondhand tobacco smoke, and numerous cities all across Florida have passed similar resolutions, including Orlando and Winter Park here in Orange County.
In addition to world famous Doctor Beach, many organizations strongly support this legislation including: Florida Association of Counties, Florida League of Cities, Ocean Conservancy, Sierra Club, Surfrider Foundation, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, March of Dimes, QuitDoc Foundation, and Florida Cancer Control and Research Advisory Council.
Current Florida law exposes families with young children, seniors, and others, to harmful secondhand smoke while at our beaches and parks.
The deleterious effects of secondhand smoke, especially in children, are numerous and well documented, and so is tobacco’s impact on the environment.
According to Keep America Beautiful, cigarette butts remain the most littered item in America. They make up one third of the litter found on beaches and in parks.
Tobacco litter is toxic, non-biodegradable, and devastating on marine wildlife. According to the United Nations International Maritime Organization, 177 species of marine animals and 111 species of shorebirds are affected by tobacco litter, causing unnecessary malnutrition, starvation, and death. Cigarette filters have been found in the stomachs of fish, birds, whales and other marine creatures who mistake them for food.
People who visit our state parks and beaches expect to experience clean fresh air. Tobacco smoke mars this experience.
That is why all the parks and beaches of California, Hawaii, Maine and New Jersey are smoke-free, and over 1,500 municipalities across America prohibit smoking in their parks. None of them are in Florida.
Smoking is not allowed within any of the Walt Disney World theme parks. Disney recognizes that a smoke-free outdoor environment is good for business because it enhances the experience for their guests.
Having tobacco-free parks and beaches would provide healthy environments for families with children, and allow Florida to fairly compete with smoke-free vacation destinations for tourist dollars.
HB 105 and SB 224 will do much more than keep tobacco litter off our beaches and out of our parks. If enacted, they will restore local control of our beaches and parks to our communities. They will also protect the environment and our children, reduce cleanup costs, increase tourism, and improve the health of our citizens. It is the right thing to do. It is time to pass HB 105 and SB 224 to give us the freedom to make our parks and beaches smoke-free.