Panama City Beach Considers Banning Cigarette Smoking and Vaping

Panama City Beach smoking vaping ban

The Panama City Beach City Council has taken the first step towards banning cigarette smoking and vaping in certain areas of the beach. On Thursday(2022/10/13), the council approved the first reading of an ordinance that would prohibit these activities in city parks, public beach accesses, and along the sandy beach within 400 feet of the Russell-Fields Pier.

Councilman Michael Jarman clarified that the proposed ban would not apply to the entirety of the beach but only to specific city-controlled areas. The council’s ability to consider such an ordinance stems from Florida House Bill 105, which allows local governments to ban cigarette smoking and vaping on beaches and in parks.

The bill was passed by the House in February and the Senate in March before being signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis on June 24, taking effect on July 1. Interestingly, unfiltered cigars were exempt from the state legislation, meaning that if the Panama City Beach ordinance is approved, people could still smoke cigars in all city areas where cigarettes and vapes would be prohibited.

The only exceptions for cigarette smoking and vaping in the designated areas would be at certain special events, smoking sites designated by the city manager, and from within a car. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has noted that cigarette butts are a pervasive, long-lasting, and toxic form of marine debris, and officials have said they are difficult to remove from the sandy beach.

The first reading of the local smoking ban passed with a 3-2 vote. Mayor Mark Sheldon, Councilman Michael Jarman, and Councilman Paul Casto were in favor of the ban, while council members Phil Chester and Mary Coburn opposed it. Coburn expressed her reservations, stating, “I think it’s a very elitist piece of legislation that Tallahassee has given us to allow unfiltered cigars and not cigarette (and vape) smoking. I’m not a smoker, (and) I would like to encourage people not to smoke … but I just feel like this really infringes on our personal freedoms.”

The second reading and final vote on the ordinance will take place at the City Council meeting on November 10. If passed, the ban on cigarette smoking and vaping in the specified areas will become law, marking a significant change for beachgoers and park visitors in Panama City Beach.

As the debate continues, the council will need to weigh the potential benefits of the ban, such as reducing litter and protecting public health, against concerns about personal freedoms and the practicality of enforcement. The outcome of the November 10 vote will determine the future of smoking and vaping regulations in Panama City Beach’s public spaces.

Matthew Ma
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