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Jacksonville Beach council approves first reading of ordinance banning smoking on Atlantic Ocean Beach
Summary
The council voted 6‑0 on first reading to adopt an ordinance that would prohibit smoking on Atlantic Ocean Beach. Public health advocates supported the measure; council members debated whether to include electronic smoking devices (vapes) and were told state law changes in 2022 allow local regulation of vaping.
The Jacksonville Beach City Council voted 6‑0 on first reading to prohibit smoking on the Atlantic Ocean Beach, approving ordinance 2025‑8223 and scheduling a second reading for May 5.
The ordinance would add a prohibition on smoking to chapter 6 of the city code covering beach use and clarifies enforcement and citation procedures. The council opened the public hearing on the ordinance after Chief Jean Paul Smith presented it as the item discussed at last week’s workshop.
Katie Montalto of Tobacco Free Jacksonville urged the council to adopt a comprehensive policy that also explicitly bans electronic smoking devices and vaping, citing environmental litter from cigarette butts and disposable vape devices and the public‑health risks of secondhand smoke and vapor. Montalto said more than 80 Florida municipalities have adopted similar protections since the 2022 state law update.
Council members expressed general support for a smoking ban. Council member Janssen said he supported the ordinance while noting concerns about government overreach; Council member Golding noted neighboring municipalities Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach already restrict smoking on their beaches and said she would prefer to include vaping but was willing to proceed with the current language and consider vaping separately.
A city legal advisor (identified in the meeting as Mister Miggett) told the council that changes in state law in February 2022 removed the preemption barrier for local regulation of vapor‑generating devices, meaning the city could regulate vaping if it chose to do so. Council members asked staff to confirm adjacent municipalities’ rules and consider whether vaping should be added before final adoption.
The ordinance passed on first reading 6‑0; the council set a second reading for May 5.
