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Beach Smoking Snuffed Out

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By DOUG SWORD

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Published: June 7, 2008

SARASOTA COUNTY - That next cigarette could cost you $97.

But only on Siesta Public Beach, at least for now.

On Friday, Sarasota County posted the first of about 150 signs that will dot public beaches and indicate where designated smoking areas are - for the most part in parking lots and at some picnic shelters.

Despite the prevalent use of sand in ashtrays, the sandy parts of beaches will become big "No Smoking" areas.

Signs will be installed in coming weeks at Blind Pass, Manasota, North Jetty, Caspersen, Turtle, Palmer Point Park and South Lido beaches.

The smoking ban officially went into effect in December, but the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office has only written warning tickets so far. The agency was waiting for the signs to be erected to begin enforcement, said Sgt. Scott Osborne.

So far, the effort has been at education, particularly for local hoteliers so that their guests know about the smoking ban.

"Once the signs are up, we'll be rolling," Osborne said.

Sheriff's Office employees won't be the only ones handing out tickets: any city or county code enforcement officer can issue a citation for violation of the new law.

The county's ban on beach smoking was the first in the region, although the city of Sarasota followed with a similar ban on Lido Beach.
Manatee County considered a ban, but backed off because of a legal opinion that state law restricted such power solely to the Legislature.

While some smokers religiously strip their cigarette butts and dispose of them properly, many do not, as evidenced by reports from cleanup crews that cigarette and cigar butts were among the litter leaders on county beaches.

County commissioners also cited the potentially lethal danger cigarette filters pose to wildlife as a reason for the ban.

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