Tobacco smoking will be banned on beaches and public parks in Miami Beach from January.

As of Day 1 of 2023, cigarettes, pipe tobacco, or any other lit tobacco products are banned from public beaches and Miami Beach parks.

With the signature of Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida, embodied in the bill on July 1 of this year, cities were given the right to ban people from smoking on their beaches.

And immediately Pompano Beach was the first to apply the power it received.

Subsequently, Fort Lauderdale, Deerfield Beach, Boca Raton and Delray Beach were added.

And the fact is that, according to Rafael Paz, Miami Beach Municipal Attorney, cigarette butts are the most common pollutant of the city’s beaches and parks.

In this regard, Dan Gelber, mayor of Miami Beach, joined the voices of people who fought for a healthier environment on the beaches.

“I’m sick of the plague of cigarette butts and secondhand smoke that all too often find their way into our public spaces,” he said.

However, unfiltered cigarettes and vaping are excluded from the state law signed by the governor.

However, People who break the new law will be subject to fines imposed by the authorities, starting at $100 for the first time. $200 for repeat offenders and $300 for those caught red-handed a third time. However, repeat offenders can also face up to 60 days in prison.

The enforcement of this rule will be the responsibility of the local police, who will be authorized to issue preliminary warnings before proceeding with the detention of people caught smoking in designated areas.

In 2019, Miami Beach also banned smoking marijuana and cannabis in public places, which was praised by many residents of the city.