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Fort Myers Beach sends smoking-and-vaping-in-parks ordinance to May 4 second reading after public comment on litter and health
Summary
At first reading the council heard legal and policy staff explain proposed ordinance 26-067 to prohibit smoking and vaping in town parks and county parks/beaches within town boundaries; public commenters emphasized litter and public‑health benefits, officials discussed enforcement and possible carve-outs for unfiltered cigars, and the council voted unanimously to schedule a second reading on May 4.
The Fort Myers Beach Town Council held the first reading and public hearing on proposed ordinance 26-067 on April 6, a measure that would prohibit smoking and vaping in the town’s public parks and county parks and beaches located within the town’s territorial boundaries.
Town Attorney Nancy (legal staff) explained that Florida law preempts many local smoking rules but expressly allows local governments to regulate smoking and vaping in parks and beaches located within their territorial limits. She read the ordinance’s definition language and noted a statutory carve‑out that would exclude unfiltered cigars from the…
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