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Smoking Banned On Sarasota Beaches

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By KEITH MORELLI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 11, 2007

SARASOTA - The county commission today banned smoking on the county beaches.

By a 4-1 vote, the commission approved the new law that is more of an anti-litter measure than it is an anti-smoking measure, said Curt Peisser, Sarasota County spokesman.

"The new ordinance designates smoking in parking areas of the beaches and in picnic shelters," he said. But all along the county's Gulf of Mexico beaches, smoking will be banned.

The local ordinance has been in the works for about a year, Peisser said.

"We have four beaches here that are certified Blue Wave beaches, which means they are internationally recognized, and that's due to the environmental element," he said.

Only a few people spoke in opposition to the measure, he said. Some other communities in the state, including Delray Beach, have adopted similar ordinances, he said.

Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760 or kmorelli@tampatrib.com.

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