St. Pete moves one step closer toward banning smoking, vaping at parks and beaches

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The city of St. Petersburg is moving closer to banning smoking and vaping at all city parks and public beaches. The city council took up the issue for a second time on Thursday. 

The organization Keep Pinellas Beautiful is in support of the ban.

"Darn it. Isn't it a shame that we even have to consider a law for this because a cigarette butt is really very small and it's a shame that people don't think enough to put their waist where it belongs," Keep Pinellas Beautiful Executive Director Patricia DePlasco said.

In August, St. Pete city council members approved a draft ordinance banning smoking and vaping at all city parks and beaches. 

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The city of Sarasota and Pinellas County are also moving forward with similar ordinances. It comes after the Florida Legislature passed House Bill 105 this summer which allows counties and municipalities to further restrict smoking on public beaches and in parks.

If passed the smoking ban ordinance would immediately go into effect, but wouldn't be enforced until January 1, 2023.

"We want to keep it free from all different types of litter and the reason behind that is number one for the health. It's not only our health, it's also the health of our environment," DePlasco said.

According to DePlasco, cigarette butts take about 150 years to decompose while releasing carcinogens.

If passed, the ban would only apply to beaches within St. Pete city limits. That means it would not apply along Pinellas County beaches, only parks along with the beach by the Pier and the St. Pete Municipal Beach in Treasure Island. 

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On Thursday, council members held a first reading of the ordinance. It received full approval and will now move on to a second reading.

FILE: Man lighting a cigarette.

"Any way you look at it, any kind of trash is harmful, but this has more implications," Plasco stated.

The second reading and first public hearing on the ordinance is set for October 6. 

If passed the ordinance would immediately go into effect, but wouldn't be enforced until January 1, 2023.