New Jersey town bans smoking on beach, boardwalk, sidewalk..

August 13, 2009 - Some towns down the Jersey Shore have banned smoking on their boardwalks. Others, like Belmar, have set up smoking zones on the beach but away from most sunbathers. Last week Seaside Heights approved an ordinance that requires smokers to remain within 20 feet of the boardwalk if they want to light up.

But little Bradley Beach in Monmouth County is about to one-up everybody.

The mayor and town council say they will soon pass an ordinance to ban smoking on the beach, the boardwalk, in fact, all the way out to the curb of Ocean Avenue (that includes a sidewalk).

"I usually don't come here that much because I have bad asthma and I really can't take it," says Calli Dobrzynski, a member of the Mayor's Youth Advisory Board. So Calli asked her fellow board members to support smoking zones for their beach. But when they took the idea to the council, the adults decided to go a step further and just ban smoking. Period.

"Why stop at a partial ban? Why not just say we are committed to keeping our beach clean and our people healthy," said Mayor Julie Schreck.

When the council formally passes it in the next few weeks, it will be the first such complete ban on beach and boardwalk smoking anywhere in New Jersey.

Smoker Mike Mortimer is none too happy. "At least give is a choice," he said. But youth board member Paul DePiano said "Usually adults don't listen to kids. It's pretty exciting and thrilling."

As for losing smoking tourists, the mayor said, "if the ability to smoke on the beach is your criterion for which beach you're gonna go to, we'll be very sorry to see you go but the rest of the people here will enjoy clean air and a clean beach."

The total beach and boardwalk smoking ban won't take effect until after this summer's season is over. But by next summer, smokers will have to cross Ocean Avenue in order to light up.

Reference: Jersey Town Bans Smoking on Beach, Boardwalk, Sidewalk by BRIAN THOMPSON, NBCNewYork.com, 8/13/2009.