NAPLES, Fla. — Regulations on smoking at Southwest Florida's beaches are now in the books, and Collier County may restrict the practice on its shores.
Commissioners are due to discuss a ban on smoking at beaches Tuesday.
Options include the outright ban or designating smoking areas. Commissioners can also create stricter ordinances on disposing smoking materials and impose a fine system for violations.
Under the "Florida Clean Air Act" previously signed into law by Gov. Ron Desantis, local leaders can now regulate smoking at beaches and parks, or ban it altogether.
One of the biggest advocates for the law is the Ocean Conservancy, a nonprofit organization that says cigarette butts are among the most commonly left-behind item on the sands.
