Smoking Ban Expanded In Point Pleasant Beach

POINT PLEASANT BEACH, NJ — The Point Pleasant Beach Borough Council has approved an expansion of the public areas where smoking is banned in the borough.

Smoking already was banned on the boardwalk and beaches, along with Point Pleasant Beach borough-owned buildings and facilities and school property, under ordinance 3:39.

The ban also included areas off the boardwalk, such as the band shell area and gazebo on Arnold Avenue and nearby parking lots, and the inlet area.

But the ban left areas near the boardwalk where people could light up, Mayor Paul Kanitra said Tuesday in explaining the expansion.

"It created these weird gaps," Kanitra said, where smoking in public was permitted and creating a nuisance.

The amendment approved Tuesday adds the following areas to the ban:

Arnold Avenue from Baltimore Avenue to the east end of Arnold Avenue, and "all public property, including all sidewalks and street ends," east of Ocean Avenue, all of Ocean Avenue and its sidewalks, and Parkway and its sidewalks from Boston Avenue to the east end of Parkway.

The ordinance amendment also explicitly spells out the areas under the "Prohibition" section, repeating what is spelled out in the "Legislative Statement" section.

"The odors caused by persons who smoke and the litter caused by persons who improperly dispose of smoking materials on these properties significantly detract from the wholesome, healthy environment and reduce the enjoyment of these properties for those who want to enjoy the healthy and wholesome environment free of smoke-related pollution," the legislative statement says.

The ban applies to smoking in any form, including tobacco or cannabis, cigars, cigarettes, pipes, and vaping.

Read the full revisions here.