Smoking Banned On Ocean City Beaches

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Beaches in Ocean City will be smoke free beginning this summer.

Ocean City Council approved the proposed ban on smoking at local beaches with a 5-0 vote at its meeting Thursday night at City Hall, according to ocnjdaily.com. Councilwoman Karen Bergman was part of the unanimous vote after previously voting against the measure. Councilmen Peter Madden and Anthony Wilson were absent.

Bergman previously called the proposed ban “too harsh.” However, after receiving emails in support of the measure, she decided to vote in favor of the ban, as her job as an elected official is to represent her constituents.

The proposal calls for a ban on smoking throughout the entire beach, and on all paths leading to the beach. Smoking is already banned on the boardwalk, and at outdoor parks, playgrounds, recreational facilities and the city's indoor facilities.

Those who are found guilty of violating the ordinance would be fined between $100 and $250 for the first offense, and between $500 and $1,000 for each subsequent offense. It takes effect 20 days after being approved.

Gov. Phil Murphy is expected to sign into law a bill to ban smoking at state, county and municipal parks, as well as New Jersey's public beaches. The proposal has been approved by both the State Senate and State Assembly.

In 2005, under the original “New Jersey Smoke Free Air Act,” the Legislature found and declared tobacco smoke to constitute a substantial health hazard to the nonsmoking majority and found it in the public interest to prohibit smoking in most enclosed indoor places of public access and workplaces. This bill amends the 2005 law to extend the ban to state, county, municipal beaches and state parks.

“The Jersey Shore has always been one of New Jersey's most treasured natural assets,” State Sen. Vin Gopal, a co-sponsor of the Senate bill, said. “We have the best beaches and the most desirable beachfront communities in the country — and we want to keep it that way. They have environmental and economic value that should not be lost or damaged by the ill effects of smoking on the beach. This legislation ensures that our beaches will be free of cigarette butts and our lungs free of smoke.”

Patch file photo