Pinellas Park adopts smoke- and vape-free parks ordinance, council votes 4-1

The Pinellas Park City Council on June 12 adopted Ordinance 2025-16, prohibiting smoking and vaping at city-owned public parks. The ordinance passed on its second and final reading by a 4-1 vote, with Mayor Bradbury recorded as voting no.

City planning coordinator Todd Byron told the council the change would amend Chapter 2, Article 10, Parks and Recreation, of the Pinellas Park Code of Ordinances to ban smoking and vaping in city parks. Byron said the proposal adds definitions for “smoking” and “vaping” and notes that the ban does not include unfiltered cigars “in accordance with state law.” He also identified local resources to support the policy, including the Tobacco Free Florida program and the Pinellas County Health Department, and said the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) offered to help promote a smoke-free parks policy.

Supporters at the public hearing urged the ban on health and environmental grounds. Ford Easton, a resident of Lealman, said cigarette litter harms parks and wildlife and added, “Smoking is bad stuff.” Courtney Burt, vice president for community impact and health strategies for the American Heart Association in Tampa Bay, told the council that secondhand smoke and vaping aerosols pose cardiovascular and respiratory risks for children and adults and urged adoption. Burt said research shows short-term exposure to vaping aerosols can impair vascular function and that secondhand smoke increases heart disease risk; she called parks appropriate venues for “fresh air, movement, and connection,” not tobacco emissions.

Council members proceeded to a motion on the ordinance at the close of the public hearing. The council clerk noted written correspondence in support of the measure from Alexandra Winston, submitted June 11, 2025, which is on file with the city clerk.

The ordinance text adds comprehensive definitions for smoking and vaping, prohibits active inhaling, exhaling, burning, tearing, or possessing lighted tobacco products and prohibits use of vapor-generating electronic devices in city-owned parks. It retains the explicit exemption noted in the presentation for unfiltered cigars, described by staff as required by state law. The ordinance provides for severability and specifies an effective date in the adopting language.

Votes at a glance - Ordinance 2025-16 (smoking and vaping ban in city parks): adopted on second and final reading, outcome: approved, vote tally 4–1 (Mayor Bradbury voted no). The public hearing record included two on-site speakers and written correspondence in support on file with the clerk. - Consent agenda (items C1–C3): approved unanimously. Items included the appointment of Elaine Bovinet to the library board (term through 06/30/2028), a cooperation and license agreement between the city and the Lightning Foundation Incorporated, and authorization to purchase a Caterpillar 46 kW portable diesel generator under a Sourcewell contract at an estimated cost of $116,286.70.

The ordinance sets a citywide standard for parks use and directs city staff to implement the new rule; council members and staff noted partner organizations that can assist with public education and signage. The council did not record any amendments to the ordinance during the meeting.